Gandhi spots something counterintuitive here: we often imagine forgiveness as a virtue of the meek or defeated, when it actually demands tremendous inner authority. The weak person—whether weak in spirit or circumstance—remains locked in resentment because letting go feels like surrender, like admitting the other person won. Only someone secure enough in their own worth can afford to release the debt without needing the other person to pay it. A parent who forgives a child's cruelty, or a worker who moves past a boss's betrayal without bitterness, demonstrates the kind of strength that doesn't announce itself—the quiet power to choose your own freedom over the satisfaction of holding a grudge.