I don’t think redemption arcs are bad. I just think a lot of people don’t understand what they mean.

Redemption doesn’t mean being forgiven. It means accepting that you may never be, and resolving to continue working on yourself anyway.

Redemption isn’t about getting back the external things that you lost by being awful. It’s about getting **yourself** back. It’s about becoming someone worthy of the next people you’ll meet along the way, because the people you hurt have no obligation to give you a second chance.

It’s not about proving yourself to the people you wounded, because you may well not exist to them anymore. You were carved out of their lives and your new journey to a better place does not impose upon them any obligation to change that.

I can’t emphasize that enough.

The BEST speech on redemption I’ve ever seen comes from Teal’c on Stargate SG-1 in the Arc of Truth.

It’s a phenomenal speech. Look it up. Bottom line he says that you may never forgive yourself for what you did, and no action you can take will wipe the scales clean.

But, BUT, your life does not have to end. Your journey isn’t over. You may never find personal absolution, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help others. You can still make a difference. You can still change the world for the better.

To do that, you must keep going.

And that, THAT, is the heart of a well-written redemption arc. Not the final end-point of forgiveness. The decision and determination, ever day, to become better than you were. To resolve to do everything you can for the new people you meet.

For the rest of your days.

This thread is getting some traction, so hey, while you're here, please consider buying my book! https://www.amazon.com/Skyfarer-Drifting-Lands-Joseph-Brassey-ebook/dp/B01N6FOEMW/ref=pd_sim_351_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=T2DT92RMVC5XM7JC53RM