#Clemency

Forgiveness is the social ritual of feigning tolerance for another’s wrongdoing while secretly flaunting one’s own moral superiority. Clad in the armor of goodwill, it doubles as a tool for theatrical magnanimity, a performance meant to trade favors. It pretends to heed cries for atonement while indulging in narcissistic self-satisfaction. The more it is bestowed, the more gratitude it demands in return, transforming a gift into a paradoxical contract of obligation.