Humans are imperfect. Because we are imperfect, we must work with limited knowledge concerning the situations we encounter. We never see the full picture.
We make our best judgment with this limited knowledge, and sometimes it turns out all right. But usually, we misjudge the situation, screw it up, and only realize this once the matter has long passed.
In this song, Adnis, Jay-Z writes a letter to his dad. They had a strained relationship, I’ll let you look further into that. His father’s actions clearly hurt Jay, but he also understands.
Jay-Z talks about a time he reconnected with his father after many years and how he was affected by the resemblance he saw in his dad, like looking in a mirror. This was the catalyst for forgiveness.
The need to forgive arises when we harbor resentment when we feel wronged. We feel wronged when an expectation isn’t met.
Friends and family should be loyal, honest, reliable, etc., because that is how you treat the people you love. We all know that.
As we enter new situations in relationships, everyone is constantly making their best judgment with the limited information they have. Thus, many mistakes are made.
Lapse in judgment comes from various sources like childhood, financial standing, mental state, and so on. You have your own factors that keep you from seeing the full picture.
This is the perspective Jay-Z shares.
We hold our parents (and often others) to such high standards that we forget they are as human as us. As likely to misjudge a situation as us. Maybe even worse.
I can’t remember how often my judgment of a situation hurt a loved one. I would think I made the best decision, then look back on it sometime later and realize that I had caused undue pain.
I have to forgive you for your mistakes because you’re a human doing the best you can. Because I’ve also made judgments with limited information. Because I’ve also reflected and thought, “Had I known better, I would’ve done differently.”
I must forgive you because you’re just like me. 🪞