He said that he was on a balcony, that he saw people passing by and that he wanted to have a machine gun to release his anger. His hatred towards the Germans and what they had done to him and his family was very evident. On a personal level, Thomas Buergenthal learned to forgive, because it benefited him more than remaining bitter. He sums it up when talking about himself and his mother by saying, "I doubt we could have preserved our sanity if we had remained consumed by hatred for the rest of our lives." » The forgiveness process took a long time. He ultimately realized "that we cannot hope to protect humanity from crimes such as those inflicted upon us unless we fight to break the cycle of hatred and violence that invariably leads to more suffering among human beings." innocent humans.” This awareness led Buergenthal to study law and work in several human rights organizations and courts. He felt fit to serve in such a place because he was a victim of the greatest human rights violation in the world.