But I do hope people will think deeply, about the nature of forgiveness in our current culture, about mental illness, and about a disorder I did not choose and which has resulted in me setting my life on fire more times than I can count.
I've been on the receiving end of someone with mental health issues slagging me undeservedly who at some point got the help they needed. And part of that was asking 'forgiveness' from those they'd wronged. When they asked me I had to 'think deeply' about it and in the end I couldn't simply say "sure, we're good". Because the mental health thing might have been the 'reason' or 'excuse', possibly even 'mitigation', but it doesn't in any way fix the damage done. It doesn't fix a damaged reputation. It doesn't change the opinions of the people you convinced I'm a bad person in one of your 'episodes'. This whole thing reads like "Hey...I know I burned down your house, killed your dog and stole your car and I own that...but I was going through a rough patch and you're a bad person if you don't just let it go. Oh...and never tell anyone about the arson, theft and the rest, because, you know, couldn't help myself and if you do you're the bad person".
I do want to be sympathetic to someone whose done wrong, has gotten help, and wants to own past transgressions. We all have things we should atone for. I just don't think that's what this article is really asking for.
Your "reads like" summary is a mischaracterization of the piece in my opinion. He's addressing those he did not directly harm, not Harris; he does not say people should "just let it go" and certainly does not say they are bad people if they do not; and he does not say people should never tell anyone about his misdeeds.
Everyone has an opinion. I know who he's tacitly 'addressing'. My opinion is it's an indirection; appeal to the mob to not address the actual subject. Like the archive being cleared of evidence (by 'someone'...no proof and all that). Or 'leaving social media', by posting to social media. And after pages of self flagellation mixed with a thick layer of 'but, you know, couldn't be helped', he ends the whole thing with What do you want from me? which certainly reads to me like "let it go". To me, it's a performance piece. But there is certainly room for other readings...we'll have to agree to disagree.
I've been on the receiving end of someone with mental health issues slagging me undeservedly who at some point got the help they needed. And part of that was asking 'forgiveness' from those they'd wronged. When they asked me I had to 'think deeply' about it and in the end I couldn't simply say "sure, we're good". Because the mental health thing might have been the 'reason' or 'excuse', possibly even 'mitigation', but it doesn't in any way fix the damage done. It doesn't fix a damaged reputation. It doesn't change the opinions of the people you convinced I'm a bad person in one of your 'episodes'. This whole thing reads like "Hey...I know I burned down your house, killed your dog and stole your car and I own that...but I was going through a rough patch and you're a bad person if you don't just let it go. Oh...and never tell anyone about the arson, theft and the rest, because, you know, couldn't help myself and if you do you're the bad person".
I do want to be sympathetic to someone whose done wrong, has gotten help, and wants to own past transgressions. We all have things we should atone for. I just don't think that's what this article is really asking for.
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