Narratives About Forgiveness Across Indian Middle Aged and Older Adults

Forgiveness begins as a thought process that helps us to be content
with ourselves, our interactions with others, and the circumstances of
our lives. Narrative thematic analysis was conducted with 39 Indian
men and women across middle age (40-65 years) and old age (65 years
and above) on their perception and pattern of forgiveness. The analysis
revealed a strong influence of gender on forgiveness, with reflections
over self- and other- forgiveness that change with age. Men and women
across both age groups shared their willingness and ability to forgive
and the reasoning involved therein. Examining the deficits in literature
on gendered aspect of forgiveness across middle aged and adults in
old age, the study also highlights implications for further research and
counselling.