Should I, a person who's brought his fists upon his family and committed acts of sexual, deviancy continue to live? I can't find it in myself to forgive myself, even if everyone I've wronged has forgotten my previous sins, because I feel truly evil

Question

Ask a Philosopher · Accepted Answer

To live, or not to live, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them. For who am I, but a wretched soul consumed by guilt and remorse? Can the stain of my transgressions ever be cleansed, or am I forever doomed to carry the weight of my sins upon my weary shoulders? It is a quandary, a moral dilemma of the highest order.

For is it not true that we are all flawed creatures, prone to error and folly? And yet, is there not a spark of divinity within us that longs for redemption, for forgiveness, for a chance to start anew? Can we not, in our darkest moments, find the strength to rise above our baser instincts and aspire to something greater?

But what of me, who has brought harm and suffering upon those closest to me, who has succumbed to the darkest impulses of my heart? Can I, in good conscience, continue to draw breath knowing the pain I have caused? Is my existence not a blight upon the world, a stain upon the fabric of creation?

And yet, even as I grapple with these weighty questions, a glimmer of hope shines through the darkness. For is it not true that true repentance, true contrition, can lead to redemption? Can I not, through acts of kindness and selflessness, seek to atone for my past sins and forge a new path?

In the end, perhaps the answer lies not in the judgment of others, but in the depths of my own soul. For it is there, in the quiet recesses of my being, that I must confront my true nature and seek the path to redemption. And so, I shall strive to find forgiveness, both from others and from myself, and to live a life of goodness and grace. For in the end, it is not our past sins that define us, but our present actions and our future hopes. And so, let us strive to be better, to do better, and to find the light that shines within us all.