Which do you think makes you a better person, the act of forgiving or apologizing?

Both have the potential to be for the one giving, and the one receiving.. but apologies tend to be more for the receiver, and forgiveness is really more for the one giving.

Really, neither is better, but both are great acts.

Depends on the situation; neither one has intrisically more value.

Apologies are often just social motions but Forgiveness is deeply personal, you can’t make it so by just saying it or wishing it.

I’d feel an immensely better person if I could truly forgive.

I don’t think there is any measure of one being weighted more than the other.
I however think if you are doing way too much of either, something is not completely right.

It takes courage to perform either, although it may depend entirely on the circumstances.
Forgiving a killer for murdering your child or family member, no matter how much emotional pain you’re in, takes a lot of guts.
It’s all about wanting to be the bigger person.

Forgiving. For example, a ruler or a judge can forgive and pardon many people and spare them a sentence of death, but a mere apology only acknowledges his error or shortcoming.

Apologizing.

Yes. Because, to err is human. Apologizing and forgiving are, too.

Apologizing. It’s much harder for me to apologize to someone I’ve hurt than it is for me to forgive someone who has hurt me.

I think they are both equal products of humility and humility is a hard practice but a necessary one if we wish to have good relationships.

One without the other does not much good either way. If you can apologize but don’t forgive or forgive but not aplogize… who does it help much? Maybe forgiving without apoligizing would help you more but still….hmmm

Ideally both. But if I had to say, it would be forgiving. It’s hard to move in any direction if you can’t forgive not only yourself but others. I would rather be forgiven than have someone apologize to me. If someone is sorry, I’ll know it, there is no need for it to be said. I believe there is much more to lose in life if you can’t forgive.

The two are entirely separate entities, yet are two sides of the same nature. Both, I say, for when you wrong you are to apologize; when you are wronged, you are to forgive. Either takes the same courage and will; either improves you.

Forgiving, I think. That may be because I have a difficult time forgiving, but apologies come easily to me. We place more value on the things that are challenging.

Well it isn’t quite the same, as @ddude1116 pointed out. Both have their own merit, when meant true. But personally, I do think forgiveness is a greater quest.

I don’t think I really understand forgiving.

Neither… The act of forgetting does it for me.

You forgive them, they owe you, they forgive you owe them…

Unforgiveness locks your emotions in a cell of distrust untill you choose to forgive and be free of the pain…

To be a better person would be to avoid stepping into that bear trap.