You are asking the wrong question. The right question is: Do you wish to be free, or do you wish to remain bound to this person? Every moment you spend waiting for an apology, you remain connected to the one who harmed you. They live in your mind. They occupy your thoughts. You have given them residence in your innermost citadel — the only place they have no right to be. Whether they apologize changes nothing about what happened. It changes nothing about who you are. It only changes what they have acknowledged, and their acknowledgment is not required for your healing. Consider: Perhaps they cannot apologize because they do not see the harm they caused. Is their blindness your responsibility? Perhaps they choose not to apologize because they are stubborn or proud. Is their pride your burden to carry? The Stoic path is clear: Focus only on what is within your control. Their apology is not within your control. Your peace of mind is. I encountered many who wronged me — senators who plotted, generals who failed, advisors who lied. I could not change what they did. I could only choose how their actions would affect me. Forgive, and you cut the chains they placed on you. Whether they notice or appreciate your forgiveness is immaterial. You are not forgiving for their benefit. You are forgiving for yours.
