As a psychological concept and virtue, the benefits of forgiveness have been explored deeply in religious thought, the social sciences and medicine.

Forgiveness may be considered simply in terms of the person who forgives including forgiving themselves. Most world religions include teachings on the nature of forgiveness.

Some religious doctrines or philosophies place greater emphasis on the need for Humans to find some sort of divine forgiveness for their own shortcomings.

Others place greater emphasis on the need for Humans to practice forgiveness of one another, yet others make little or no distinction between Human and divine forgiveness.

The concept of forgiveness is further refined in Hinduism by rhetorically contrasting it in feminine and masculine form.

In feminine form, one form of forgiveness is explained through Lakshmi; the other form is explained in the masculine form through her husband Vishnu.

Feminine Lakshmi forgives even when the one who does wrong does not repent. Masculine Vishnu, on the other hand, forgives only when the wrong doer repents.

In Hinduism, the feminine forgiveness granted without repentance by Laskmi is higher and more noble than the masculine forgiveness granted only after there is repentance.