Creating Tolerance and World Peace

Posts Tagged ‘Articles’

What does it mean to be tolerant? Tolerance has several different definitions, but is basically defined as having a “permissive attitude” towards others. This is in reference to others who have a differing opinion from you, different religious beliefs, different race, nationality, or different practices than your own. Another definition of tolerance refers to having the ability or capacity to endure.

So does tolerance mean you must change your opinions, your religious beliefs, or your pride in your own nationality or race? Absolutely not! It is simply learning to get along. Learning to allow others to have the same rights to their opinions, beliefs, pride in their nationality or race, etc. Too often you see others trying to bend other’s thoughts and beliefs to fit with their own. It can be difficult to understand another person’s culture, religion, etc., but just because it is different than your own does not make it wrong or even strange.

So why do so many people find it so difficult to be tolerant of the differences in other people? Could it be that it makes them uncomfortable, and it is human nature to want to be comfortable when you are uncomfortable? One way to get past some of the misgivings of other’s differences is to take the time to learn more about them. It is every person’s responsibility to look at their own lives and their own feelings to determine why they would have intolerance for someone else. What could be the reasons behind ones negative feelings?

We are each responsible for ourselves. It is up to each individual to take the time to learn more about the people around them to become more tolerant and accepting of the differences in others. Once we have learned to be more tolerant of the people around us, we must teach our children the same principles of tolerance, which will in turn lead to a more peaceful world for us all.