"If you have the option to forgive, then this suggests that you also have the option to take offense or not in the first place. One of the ways to hasten forgiveness is to take offenses less personally. I firmly believe that relationships would improve if people chose to take offense less often. Being more tolerant of your partner's bad behavior would do a lot to make him or her feel more accepted and loved. This in turn would make your partner more likely to treat you with kindness. You have a choice in how you react to your partner's bad behavior. Surely it makes sense to try to be more accepting and less prone to offense if doing so decreases the number of times you actually have to forgive your partner.

"We all have to work at being more forgiving. The next few times your partner does something hurtful, try to practice forgiving him or her. Doing this will help you to become more forgiving toward your partner and will greatly improve your relationship. If your husband always forgets to clean up the bathroom, for instance, try to forgive his sloppiness the next time you notice it. After practicing forgiveness a few times, you may notice that you are less inclined to get angry at the other annoying things he does. You may well find that you are more patient with him when he leaves the soap out or fails to run errands as requested. Forgiveness — or the ability to live life without taking offense when you get a no and grieving your losses without blame — is a choice that can be practiced anytime. Although it's not the only positive response, forgiveness is a skillful way to deal with the 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune' or the ups and downs of every important relationship."