Hi lovelies đź’•
Hope we are all doing well.
Here's on thoughts for this week's prompt.
Life is like a chain of events—what happens to us often affects the people around us. Pain, especially, has a way of spreading when it is not dealt with. A hurt person can easily hurt someone else, and that cycle keeps going. This makes us ask an important question: if someone hurts others because of the pain they once went through, should they be held accountable?
The truth is, this question is not so simple. When someone has been deeply hurt—emotionally, physically, or mentally—it changes them. That hurt can turn into anger, bitterness, or mistrust, and sometimes they take it out on others without even realizing it. For example, a child raised in an abusive home may grow up struggling to show love or might even repeat the same behavior with their own family. The pain they experienced doesn’t end with them—it gets passed on like a chain reaction. This is what we call the “cycle of pain.”
Now, should such people be blamed? On one side, understanding their past helps us see why they act the way they do. No one chooses to be traumatized, and most people don’t wake up wanting to hurt others. But on the other side, everyone is still responsible for their own actions. Having pain does not excuse causing pain to innocent people. Accountability is necessary, because without it, the cycle will never stop.
People who pass on their trauma are not necessarily bad people; many of them are broken and have never been given the chance to heal. They often repeat what was done to them simply because it is all they know. But the moment someone realizes they are passing on their pain, they have the power to choose differently—either continue the cycle or break it. Healing is not easy, but it is possible through therapy, self-reflection, prayer or faith, forgiveness, and most of all, the desire to change.
Forgiveness also plays a big role here. Can such actions ever be forgiven? I believe they can, but forgiveness takes time and depends on the situation. Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting what happened or excusing the wrong. It means letting go of anger so both the victim and the offender can heal. Sometimes forgiveness comes when the person takes responsibility and tries to change. Other times, it’s about freeing yourself from bitterness, even if the person never apologizes.
But forgiveness doesn’t mean staying in harmful situations. You can forgive someone and still set boundaries to protect yourself. In fact, real healing often requires both forgiveness and distance.
The cycle of pain is real, but it doesn’t have to continue forever. People who have been hurt deserve understanding, but they must also take responsibility for their choices. Forgiveness is possible, but it requires effort, honesty, and growth. The best thing we can do is to stop the pain at our own doorstep and not pass it on. That way, we can be the ones to finally break the chain.