History and human experience often reveal a painful truth: hurt rarely ends with the one who suffers it. Instead, it spreads, sometimes silently, sometimes violently, creating a chain reaction of sorrow that passes from one person to another, from one generation to the next. The circle of pain is not just about individual wounds; it is about how trauma, once planted, can grow into cycles of vengeance, mistrust, and cruelty. In examining the realities of slavery and its aftermath, we see how the scars of yesterday still echo in the actions of today. But this raises pressing questions: should those who repeat the hurt be condemned, or should they be understood as products of inherited trauma? And more importantly, can the circle of pain ever truly be broken?
It’s sad that in today’s world, the circle of pain is still ongoing and it would be very dull of you to say you have no idea about it. The world has advanced so much technologically, making it very easy for you to know what's happening all over the world. From what I have seen, the world is on the verge of collapse because people refuse to forgive the sinners of other people's ancestors.
I'm not in support of us forgetting the past or our history but we should learn to let go of things. Many people use the sins of other people's ancestors to judge their predecessors.
It has been over 100 years since the slave trade ended globally, but you would know nothing about it. It is very hard for people to forgive the sins of the slave trade that ended over a hundred years ago.
"I'm never going to forgive them for what they did to my ancestors. I'll make sure all the white people suffer for it."
This is the mindsetsome people have; there are also people that are very racist because of bad things people of different-colored ancestors have done.
"I'll never give them an opportunity to express themselves. They are the descendants of the devil."
But pain like this rarely comes from nowhere. It is carried through stories, closed doors, and unhealed wounds passed down. When pain becomes inheritance, it twists how people see the world and how they treat others. Still, responsibility cannot be ignored, hurting someone else because you were hurt does not heal; it only spreads the wound further.
Breaking this circle requires both accountability and understanding. We must ask why someone lashes out, not to excuse it but to stop it from repeating. That means teaching honest history, creating opportunities where resentment cannot easily grow, and giving people spaces to heal.
Forgiveness, however, is not simple. Some may find peace in it, while others may never reach it, and both are valid. Forgiveness should not mean forgetting, but rather choosing not to let pain control the future.
In the end, the circle of pain is broken when individuals and societies decide not to pass the hurt forward. Every small act, choosing conversation over revenge, justice over silence, healing over hate and weakens the chain of past pain. We need to make sure that this circle doesnt continue and it must start from us.
Thanks for reading. My name is fashtioluwa. Image used is mine
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