Leighton’s Theory of Sentiments: Explorations and Speculations on Barriers to Interpersonal Forgiveness

In My Name Is Legion (Leighton, 1959), the basic assumption of Alexander H. Leighton’s theory of sentiment is as follows: ‘A given personality exists more or less continuously throughout life in the act of striving, and interference with that striving has consequences which in turn often lead to psychiatric disorder’ (p. 136). This commentary focuses first on selected sources of interference to interpersonal forgiveness and then elaborates a research agenda that aims to expand our knowledge of barriers to interpersonal forgiveness.