The Cult of Tolerance
It is a misconception to say that today tolerance is the highest held virtue. It is not. Instead intolerance, or perceived intolerance, is vilified more than any other evil. So people today do not truly strive to be tolerant. They simply avoid being perceived as intolerant. These two things are not the same.
The dictionary defines tolerance is the ability to endure or put up with something that is disagreeable. For example, a person who has a high tolerance for alcohol is someone who can put up with a large amount of a substance that has a negative affect on the body. So, tolerance does not mean: a—agreement, or even b—understanding. In today’s vernacular it really means simply to not disagree with any view. Intolerance by default becomes synonymous with saying or believing something is wrong.
Once again, the fact must be stated that tolerance is not what people strive for. Notice. People still believe some things are wrong. The way they avoid the intolerance label is by qualifying they’re beliefs. “That truth is not for me.” “If it works for you, then that’s great!”What the world needs today is not less intolerance, but more respect. Respect is better than tolerance. With respect people can talk. They can try to understand each other. They can agree to disagree, but they can have real discussions and debate the nature of reality.
It is time for intelligent people to denounce the Cult of Tolerance and return to a Pursuit of the Truth.
The dictionary defines tolerance is the ability to endure or put up with something that is disagreeable. For example, a person who has a high tolerance for alcohol is someone who can put up with a large amount of a substance that has a negative affect on the body. So, tolerance does not mean: a—agreement, or even b—understanding. In today’s vernacular it really means simply to not disagree with any view. Intolerance by default becomes synonymous with saying or believing something is wrong.
Once again, the fact must be stated that tolerance is not what people strive for. Notice. People still believe some things are wrong. The way they avoid the intolerance label is by qualifying they’re beliefs. “That truth is not for me.” “If it works for you, then that’s great!”What the world needs today is not less intolerance, but more respect. Respect is better than tolerance. With respect people can talk. They can try to understand each other. They can agree to disagree, but they can have real discussions and debate the nature of reality.
It is time for intelligent people to denounce the Cult of Tolerance and return to a Pursuit of the Truth.
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