--- description: A new study suggests that the surest way out of a guilt trip is to fess up and make amends title: Forgiving Yourself Begins with Seeking Forgiveness, Study Finds image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc8aeb8f1dc4a8eab/69868f6513c79f3f78192151/482143483.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Mental Health/Psychology](/tag/mental-healthpsychology/) ## Mental Health/Psychology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Secret to Forgiving Yourself  by [Dan Kedmey](/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 14, 2014 9:09 PM CUT  Man showing 'I'm Sorry' sign to angry girlfriend Man showing 'I'm Sorry' sign to angry girlfriendJamie Grill—Getty Images/Blend Images  by [Dan Kedmey](/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 14, 2014 9:09 PM CUT A new [study](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140513132649.htm "undefined") suggests that in order to forgive yourself, first you need to be forgiven by others. Researchers at Baylor University surveyed 269 guilt-wracked subjects to recall past offenses. They told stories of gossiping, cheating and inflicting physical harm, among other guilt trips. They were then asked how much they had forgiven themselves. A striking difference emerged between the participants. Those who had confessed to doing wrong and begged forgiveness from the wronged party were more likely to feel a “moral right” to forgive themselves. Those who had kept their turmoil pent up in their heads reported feeling less of a moral right to forgive themselves, a state of mind which in the long run can contribute to depression and a weakened immune system. “Our study found that making amends gives us permission to let go,” said researcher Thomas Carpenter. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/99667/forgiveness-baylor-study/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/99667/forgiveness-baylor-study/"},"headline":"The Secret to Forgiving Yourself","datePublished":"2014-05-14T21:09:54.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T07:50:25.121Z","description":"The surest way out of a guilt trip is to fess up and make amends. Then you can really 'Let It Go'","url":"https://time.com/99667/forgiveness-baylor-study/","keywords":["Mental Health/Psychology"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc8aeb8f1dc4a8eab/69868f6513c79f3f78192151/482143483.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Dan Kedmey","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/dan-kedmey/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc8aeb8f1dc4a8eab/69868f6513c79f3f78192151/482143483.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"482143483","caption":"482143483","creditText":"Jamie Grill—Getty Images/Blend Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/mental-healthpsychology/","name":"Mental Health/Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/99667/forgiveness-baylor-study/","name":"The Secret to Forgiving Yourself"}}]}] ```