We are a world of very different individuals,
different minds, different opinions....and this is manifesting as the entire
range, from “tolerance”, to severe opposition, violence and deadly
conflict.
We can’t ignore or “tolerate” the worst people
and situations: there are real bullies out there, there is predator behavior
among humans, there are immoral or criminal acts:
“Tolerance becomes a crime, when applied to
evil.”
Thomas Mann
Acting blindly, in the name of “Tolerance” ,
will lead to the worst results:
“The man who is most aggressive in teaching
tolerance is the most intolerant of all:
he wants a world full of people too timid and
ashamed to really disagree with anything.”
Criss Jami, “Killosophy”
Sometimes, telling the truth is quickly
labelled as “intolerance”:
“It’s discouraging to think how many people
are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.”
Noel Coward, “Blithe
Spirit”
Leaving aside the really
intolerable situations, we could think about the meaning of “tolerance”, as it
relates to the day to day things, or people that may bother
us.
We have to understand this word:
“TOLERANCE”....because it can be insulting, it implies that we “tolerate”
something that bothers us, that upsets us, or somebody who is bad, or inferior
to us.
“If you accept others as equals, you embrace
them unconditionally, now and forever.
But if you let them know that you tolerate
them, you suggest in the same breath that they are actually an inconvenience,
like a nagging pain or an unpleasant odor you
are willing to disregard.”
Arthur Japin, “In Lucia’s Eyes”
Are we always entitled to assume that the
others are wrong?
“Tolerance implies a gratuitous assumption of
the inferiority of other faiths to one’s own.”
Mahatma Gandhi
We are, in fact, offending those that we are
“tolerating” , because we establish, without any proof , or judgment, that they
are wrong:
“Tolerance should, strictly speaking, be only
a passing mood;
it ought to lead to acknowledgement and
appreciation.
To tolerate a person is to affront
him.”
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, “The Maxims and
Reflections of Goethe”
“Tolerance” should not become an act of
arrogance:
“He who would practice the art of tolerance
must quard well against an attitude of superiority, smugness, indifference and
coldness.
These qualities are tolerance turned wrong
side out.”
Wilfred Paterson
“Tolerance” should not become an act of
compliance, we still need to “make waves” , for positive change:
“Tolerance is for cowards. Being tolerant
requires nothing from you but to be quiet and not to make waves, holding tightly
to your views and judgments without being challenged. Do not tolerate each
other. Work hard, move into uncomfortable territory and understand each
other.”
Randall Stephenson
“Tolerance” is not about
accepting something wrong, it’s about understanding and accepting
others:
“’Tolerance’ is the wrong word.
It means you are putting up with something ,
and that’s wrong.
Living with others – that’s what it
is.”
Ted Bender
“Tolerance is seen as a virtue because of its
concern for the common good.
Once tolerance is cut loose from this larger
moral vision, however, and becomes shackled to notions of political freedom to
do what one pleases absent much consideration of the common good, it becomes
quite a different sort of beast.”
D. A. Carson, “The Intolerance of
Tolerance”
What we are tolerating remains an important
factor, and that’s why “Tolerance” must be replaced with a better virtue, based
on justice, respect, truth and understanding:
“Let us not speak of tolerance. This negative
word implies grudging concessions by smug consciences.
Rather, let us speak of mutual understanding
and mutual respect.”
Dominique
Pire
“Tolerance” is necessary and
beneficial for us:
“Anger and intolerance are the enemies of
correct understanding.”
Mahatma Gandhi
There is a deep spiritual truth that justifies
“Tolerance” as acceptance:
”We need to move beyond tolerance to acceptance.
And realize that we
are many, but we are also one.”
“Tolerance” means power over our own ego:
“Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of
strength.”
Tenzin
Gyatso
We should
not impose the rule of the many over the few:
“The test
of courage comes when we are in the minority.
The test
of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.”
Ralpf W.
Sockman
The best
definition of “Tolerance” that I could find is:
“Tolerance is giving to every human being every right that you claim for
yourself. “
Robert
Green Ingersoll
