I believe that culture determines how eager people are to forgive. For example, if someone grew up reading or being told the fable of ["The Scorpion and the frog"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scorpion_and_the_Frog), they might come to believe that at least some people cannot change. And will hurt you, even if it is not in their own self interest to do so. Because they are sadistic. Whereas someone who grew up watching Zootopia or super action movies, might come to believe that people always deserve a second chance. That people who act evil, do so because they had a bad childhood, and that anyone who is an asshole must had been victimized earlier in life. In that worldview, perpetrators are victims (too). Some people might follow a spiritual guru, who tells them that they MUST forgive, else their chakras will be filled with bad energy and make them sick. Or because jesus will not forgive them their sins if they do not forgive others their sins. Making it so that the victim promises forgiveness only because they fear supernatural repercussions. Or right now we have the ukraine conflinct. I can easily imagine that the news coverage will lead people to believe that appeasing others (like putin) was a mistake that could lead to world war 3. Appeasement and forgiveness will therefore be seen as grave mistakes by people who watch news. As such, I worry that forgiveness is detached from the crime and how it influences the victim, but is instead the result of child fables, movies, public school education, church and recent news coverage.