STORY BY ASHLEY WILLIAMS
Contributor
Tolerance.
This word is one of the most used terms in our world today, especially here in America. In politics we are to be tolerant of other political parties. In everyday life we are to be tolerant of others’ life choices. In religion, well we are to be tolerant of everything.
Tolerance bothers me. Actually, tolerance does not bother me, but the misuse of the word “tolerance” greatly bothers me. The term tolerance is so broadly misused in our society it has become a joke.
By today’s standards, tolerance has become an “anything is permissible” button. People start throwing opinions around, the discussion gets heated, and almost immediately someone calls ‘tolerance’ …or rather intolerance.
It then acts as an automatic neutralizing agent, stifling any further productive discussion. Everyone immediately quiets down because society demands tolerance, which has come to mean you can’t disagree with anyone because truth is relative and therefore everyone is right.
There is no room for absolutes, right and wrong, or truth, with today’s version of tolerance because these are all held to be relative concepts and people are to respect that – no questions asked. The funny thing about today’s version of tolerance is that it demands two truths while holding to the stance that there are none.[blockquote align=”right” author=””]Society says ‘tolerance, tolerance, everything is permissible,’ while standing on a concept that asserts that not everything is permissible. This bothers me because society is not asking for tolerance, it is asking for people-pleasing[/blockquote]
First, in order to tout ‘tolerance’ in today’s society, you have to first agree to the ‘truth’ that there are no truths. Secondly, everyone who holds to tolerance has to agree to the moral truth that peoples’ views and opinions ought to be tolerated.
Society says ‘tolerance, tolerance, everything is permissible,’ while standing on a concept that asserts that not everything is permissible. This bothers me because society is not asking for tolerance, it is asking for people-pleasing; it is demanding people be afraid to voice their opinions and views in an unashamed, respectful, manner, so as not to offend anyone else.
Tolerance, as defined by Webster’s New World Dictionary, Second College Edition, means to allow or to permit, to recognize and respect others’ beliefs and practices without sharing them; to bear or put up with someone or something not necessarily liked.
According to this definition, then, the core basis of tolerance is disagreement.
You don’t tolerate people you share an opinion with, they agree with you – that would be ridiculous. You tolerate somebody because they have a belief set, opinion, etc., that you disagree with. What tolerance does do is provide for these differing views to be voiced, written, etc., in a respectful manner.
Tolerance is an ‘agree to disagree’ concept. You have your beliefs, I have mine, I will still state my opinion emphatically, but I will do so respectfully and I will not disrespect or demean you for having a different view. I will not agree with you, at all, but I will accept that you have different views than mine and respect you as a human being.
THIS is tolerance, and this is something I agree with.
What society is asking for is not tolerance. Society is asking for a ‘green’ card to say truth is relative — anything goes. Society then forces people to keep their beliefs and opinions to themselves because anything remotely resembling an actual stance holding to absolute truths on any topic will be viewed as intolerant and will subsequently be ridicules.[blockquote align=”right” author=””]I can’t judge, I too have fallen into the ‘tolerance’ trap – I think we all have. But I do think people would be a lot better off if they knew the definition of words they use, then use them appropriately[/blockquote]
Funny, the people who call ‘tolerance’ are always the first to ridicule the idea of an absolute truth….which doesn’t seem very tolerant to me. This results in a lot of time consumed by a lot of words coming out of a lot of peoples’ mouths – and they never actually SAY anything.
I can’t judge, I too have fallen into the ‘tolerance’ trap – I think we all have. But I do think people would be a lot better off if they knew the definition of words they use, then use them appropriately. If people want a pass to say there are no absolute truths, then call it that.
Don’t take a word with a very good definition and purpose and misuse it. Say what you mean and mean what you say.