Tolerance is Good! Is Tolerance Good?

"Tolerance is the charity of intelligence."
Jules Lemaitre

Tolerance is not only an attitude, but also an art that requires wisdom, courage and compassion.

I was inspired to write this text by an NZZ article from 29.06.2023 by Thomas Ribi. From it I will quote some sentences (NZZ ). Starting point of the article are moral indignation and hate tirades in the social networks, illustrated by the example of Billie Eilish and Harry Styles, who allow themselves the freedom to change their public appearance or to act out creatively. This infuriates sworn fans or gender activists. Actually, these are the very communities that loudly demand 100% tolerance from others within their own universe.

Demanding tolerance is one thing. Practicing tolerance is something else. (NZZ )

I am well aware that I am talking here about the values of our western society and that - unfortunately - a growing group of individuals and also states see it differently. I don't know if it has to do with my own perception, but I experience our world today more and more polarized, and the two poles are increasingly irreconcilable. This is precisely why I believe that properly understood tolerance is more urgent than ever in our society.

I have asked Microsoft Bing's AI to write an essay with the above title. This is the (I think remarkable) result:

Tolerance is the ability to accept or respect other opinions, beliefs, lifestyles, or behaviors that differ from one's own. Tolerance is often considered a positive quality that contributes to peaceful coexistence, cultural diversity, and an open society. But is tolerance always good? Are there limits or dangers to tolerance?

In this essay, I will argue that while tolerance is fundamentally good, it cannot be absolute or unconditional. I will discuss three aspects of tolerance: tolerance of other people, tolerance of oneself, and tolerance of evil.

Tolerance is the ability to respect and appreciate people

Tolerance of others is the ability to respect and appreciate people who are different from us. This may refer to their ethnicity, religion, political views, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or other characteristics. Tolerance of others is good because it helps us avoid prejudice, discrimination, hatred, and violence. It also promotes understanding, empathy, and cooperation among different groups in society.

However, tolerance towards other people cannot be limitless. There are situations in which we have the right or the duty to criticize, correct, or oppose other people when they violate our values, our rights, or our safety. For example, we should not be tolerant of racists, terrorists, or child molesters. Nor should we be tolerant of people who abuse, harass, or harm us or others. So, we should practice a critical tolerance that distinguishes between respect for the person and disapproval of their actions.

Tolerance towards oneself

Tolerance of oneself is the ability to accept and love oneself as one is. This can refer to our appearance, our abilities, our feelings, or our faults. Tolerance of oneself is good because it helps us to develop a healthy self-esteem, a positive attitude, and an inner peace. It also protects us from self-criticism, self-doubt and self-hatred.

However, tolerance towards oneself should not be complacent. There are situations where we need to challenge, improve, or change ourselves if we want to develop our potential, achieve our goals or increase our well-being. For example, we should not be tolerant of our bad habits, our weaknesses, or our mistakes. We should also not be tolerant of our negative thoughts, our irrational fears, or our destructive impulses. So, we should practice constructive tolerance, which distinguishes between accepting our identity and making an effort for our growth.

Tolerance towards evil

Tolerance of evil is the ability to endure the presence or possibility of something bad, wrong, or harmful in the world. This may refer to natural disasters, human suffering, moral wrongdoing, or social injustice.

Tolerance of evil is good because it helps us to acknowledge, understand, and cope with reality. It also prevents us from despair, embitterment, or cynicism.

However, tolerance of evil cannot be passive or indifferent. There are situations in which we must fight, prevent, or eliminate evil if we are to promote, defend, or bring about good. For example, we should not be tolerant of wars, famines or epidemics. Nor should we be tolerant of corruption, oppression or exploitation.

So, we should practice an active tolerance that distinguishes between serenity before the inevitable and responsibility for what can be changed.

In summary, tolerance is good, but it cannot be absolute or unconditional. We must practice a critical, constructive, and active tolerance that respects and promotes human dignity, freedom of conscience and the justice of society. Tolerance, then, is not only an attitude but also an art that requires wisdom, courage and compassion.

While researching further, I came across a few sentences that I want to discuss here.

Tolerance does not mean approval

"Tolerance does not mean approval. I can only tolerate what I reject but am willing to tolerate." As I understand it, this requires a process of self-reflection, which should begin with the realization that one is not faultless oneself.

This statement also points to a personal process: "Tolerance should be followed by acceptance, appreciation and respect." How am I supposed to find acceptance or even respect for something I reject? From my own experience, I can say that this can be extremely challenging. And often based on a misunderstanding of what acceptance means in this context. For me, it means fully accepting that something is the way it is (even if I don't agree with it). And further, that I take full responsibility for my reactions to it, the thoughts and feelings. That is, I take care to free myself from it, perhaps one could also say, to cleanse. Only after that I can freely determine how I want to act in a corresponding situation.

Tolerance should not lead us to arrogance.

"Those who tolerate know better. Or at least believe they know better." (NZZ ). Great point! I know this from myself more than well enough. So, what can I do to avoid falling into this arrogance? I can explore myself, where I am not tolerant, towards myself and also towards others. And learn not to take myself so seriously. Then I may succeed in showing more humility. But above all, if I learn to treat myself and others basically with good will.

For me it is often helpful to look at a term also from the point of view of synonyms. I quote here the different meanings from the Woxikon:

Respect, forgiveness, openness, latitude, altruism, permissiveness, patience, self-assertion, consideration, serenity, sparing, generosity, magnanimity, lack of prejudice, forbearance, nobleness, forbearance, lack of prejudice, long-suffering, perseverance.

Let it inspire you!

In conclusion, I repeat once again the last sentence of the AI essay: tolerance is thus not only an attitude, but also an art that requires wisdom, courage and compassion.

"To be able to love a butterfly,
we must also like some caterpillars."
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry