The practice of allowing oneself to enjoy pleasures or luxuries, often excessively. In Catholic theology, the remission of punishment for sins after confession and absolution.
From Latin 'indulgentia' meaning 'kindness, tenderness', from 'indulgere' (to be kind to, give free rein to). The religious sense developed in medieval Christianity, while the secular meaning of self-gratification emerged alongside growing concepts of personal pleasure.
The sale of indulgences in medieval Europe was so controversial it helped spark the Protestant Reformation! Martin Luther's famous 95 Theses were primarily a protest against this practice, showing how a single word's commercialization can reshape entire civilizations.
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