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There is Magic in Forgiveness

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I always had a problem with the fourth rule: "There is magic in forgiveness." I know when Richard slept with Kahlan in TotW he "betrayed" her because she thought she was sleeping with someone else (complicated to explain). Is Goodkind implying that Richard MUST forgive Kahlan for this?

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Well, he thought she betrayed him, actually. I think the fourth rule means to look at the facts of reality when judging someone and to take the entirety of the context of a person into account. Also, to not allow emotions to force one to remain fixated on their views of a particular action. Forgiving someone is not "forgeting" but saying, in essence, "you have done this wrong but considering all the good you've done before and since, I will not choose to hold this action as the thing that defines who you are." Of course saying such a thing depends on the nature of the wrong, and I think Goodkind wants to say: "look at the facts of reality to determine the nature of the wrong." That is my speculation, but I'd have to read TotW again to know for sure.

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I think Goodkind wants to say: "look at the facts of reality to determine the nature of the wrong."

That's not the way I had viewed it, but considering Terry's way of thinking it makes sens to me now that I think about it.

(Added quote tags around the quotation.- sNerd)

Edited by softwareNerd
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  • 1 year later...

I take issue with this rule as well and am not quite sure why Goodkind chose to phrase it as such.

To explain further, I am not a fan of apologies. I could care less if someone is sorry and will most always simply ignore the remark when I hear it. What I do care for, however, is willingness to learn and become better. It is ok to make mistakes, but it not ok to make the same mistake over and over again. Maybe that is what Goodkind meant. Make a mistake, don't necessarily be sorry for it, but do be sure to improve yourself in future. Once said improvement occurs, go on your happy way about it and be glad the mistake occurred, both for the person who made it and the person who finds it at fault, because it was a learning experience (wtf I sound like a psychiatrist) and you are now a better person for it.

So maybe what is meant by the term magic, is fulfilling the potential of yourself or man in general, man's mind, or man's ability.

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  • 7 months later...
I always had a problem with the fourth rule: "There is magic in forgiveness." I know when Richard slept with Kahlan in TotW he "betrayed" her because she thought she was sleeping with someone else (complicated to explain). Is Goodkind implying that Richard MUST forgive Kahlan for this?

In the book, after the fourth rule is named, I believe Richard says "He forgot to the word sincere before forgiveness".

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  • 5 months later...
I always had a problem with the fourth rule: "There is magic in forgiveness." I know when Richard slept with Kahlan in TotW he "betrayed" her because she thought she was sleeping with someone else (complicated to explain). Is Goodkind implying that Richard MUST forgive Kahlan for this?

I just finished TotW tonight, so it was easy to find the relevant quotes.

RR's clue was "Ward left in. Ward right out. Guard your heart from stone."

"So, have you come to forgive me, Richard?"...

..."I can't forgive you because it would be wrong of me to come here to forgive you...

His fist moved to his chest. "It is here that we connect ever after that. We can be connected only in our hearts. You did not give him your heart. That was mine and mine alone."...

"I do not own you. You are not my slave. There is nothing for me to forgive. You did not betray me in your heart. It would be presumption of the worst order if I came with an offer of forgiveness when you never betrayed me with your heart."...

"Will you forgive me, Richard?"...

"Please, Kahlan, all I can have in this life, if you will grant it, is your forgiveness."

(he was dying of the plague as the cost of his return. Kahlan's "betrayal" was his price of admission so that he could stop the plague.)

Mere moments before she had had doubts, been uncertain as to her true feelings about him. Now, absolute conviction avalanched through her.

<Φ>aj

Edited by aristotlejones
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