At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements ;)
What if someone close to you (a best friend, a romantic partner, a child, etc.) played a particularly terrible practical joke on you? Could you forgive them? How terrible would it have to be for you to cut them completely out of your life?
That is a really tough call. It would depend on what they did and if they were truly sorry afterwards. I'm a forgiving person although I would be cautious afterwards.
ReplyDeleteIf they laughed at my reaction, blew it off, or told me I was too sensitive, I would treat them different from that point on.
ReplyDeleteI am slow to make friends. So when it is gone there is no return without true remorse.
Hi Liz - I've no idea ... depends on 'so much' ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI'm am not quick to forgive on some things! It would depend on so much. I think!
ReplyDeleteI was nonspecific to see where everyone's line is.
DeleteI have had so called "friends" when I was young do "practical jokes" on me and laugh and then tell me I was too sensitive and make me feel even worse. My first husband did a joke but it was done in anger and then he made me feel small. I accepted much of this due to my lack of self worth...but I wised up. Anyone who does a so called joke and finds out that it was hurtful, mean or degrading is not their friend to begin with. They have bigger issues to deal with than the person receiving that treatment. I have forgiven my ex and we have moved on but one never truly forgets. Now if the joke was done without realizing that the person was hurt by it, then one can forgive easier especially if the person apologizes for that joke.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Some things are done in stupidity. Others are done with malice. I've cut the malice ones out of my life, too.
DeleteI would forgive but not necessarily forget. That person would have to earn their trust back in my eyes.
ReplyDeletebetty
Hey I know this is a cop out but I think the question has been answered so lets look at this from good ol JR Ewing's perspective - Never forgive and forget and always do unto others as they do unto you. - Haha Well of course I am just having a laugh at the good of it all. Dallas, JR was pure Fiction.
ReplyDeleteProbably not. I'm not a fan of practical jokes and anyone who knows me knows that. The fact that they would do it anyway doesn't seem worth forgiving.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to think I can take a joke, but I don't like hurtful ones. Cutting them out of your life is a big step though. I guess you don't know until you're in the situation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alex. Depending just how cruel the joke was. (did you see a movie with Dwayne Johnson and ?? where Johnson is in high school, a huge fat boy, dragged out naked by bullies. CI?)
ReplyDeleteI would forgive them, but keep a distance until it was clear they were truly sorry.
I didn't see the movie based entirely on that scene. And for that I'd never let that person back into my life. Even if they were truly sorry.
DeleteHmmm that's a tough one, I'd think it would depend on what they did.
ReplyDeleteNot a minor prank, but nothing that would kill you. Probably.
DeleteHAHA....I think I am about to write a book! Seriously, keeping in mind that writing a child out of your life is harder than a friend, or whom you thought was a friend. I can't think of a joke that would turn me away from someone. I could forgive I think, I would be on guard but I think I could forgive. It would be something underhanded and ugly that would make me walk. Someone that hurt me deep, so unless the joke was underhanded and they were trying to hurt me, I think we would be good.
ReplyDeleteWhat is a joke versus what's considered underhanded can vary depending on who's involved.
DeleteHum, that's hard. If it was truly meant as a joke, not meant spitefully, I think I'd forgive and things would eventually be the same as before. If they had spiteful intent, it would take time and prayer, but I'd make it to forgiveness, but I doubt the relationship would ever be all it had been.
ReplyDeleteBarbara from Life & Faith in Caneyhead
Truthfully, I'm a pretty forgiving person. Unless it had to do with robbing us when we were really down to our very last pennies (which I'm afraid has happened a couple times--but not by people I'm close to), I'd probably let go pretty quickly.
ReplyDeleteI have very few friends and all of them would know I wouldn't like this. It also depends on the joke. Some practical jokes are funny, others hurtful.
ReplyDeleteI hate things like that and I hold a grudge so it would make for a real dicey relationship after someone pranked me.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good question. Sorry to say, I tend to hold grudges and would probably have trouble letting go.
ReplyDeleteIn this case that might be warranted.
DeleteI've cut people out of my life but eventually I forgive and forget. It's always been about a betrayal though, not a joke. I could easily forgive a joke.
ReplyDeleteIf you did the joke really wrong, it might be seen as a betrayal.
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