It is easy to look around our world and realize how much more joyfully we would all
live if there was a little more tolerance and acceptance for each other. There
are many local, national and international issues that are allowing us to
question our own ability to tolerate (and eventually love) others.
The question
today is when we seek tolerance for our positions, are we also willing to be
tolerant for others when they don’t tolerate us or our positions? A truly
tolerant person will seek fair play for themselves, but will be understanding,
not necessarily daunted or stopping the push for change, when others don’t see
the situation the same way.
Being
tolerant of others does not mean that you allow yourself to be walked on by
others, but it means that the person who is intolerant of your position is not
vilified or insulted. That would only show that you are as intolerant of their
position as they are of yours.
I am sure
some disagree with me or at least want to make the argument that when the
majority is intolerant then injustices can happen to the minority. That
position does have basis in the historical evidence of this reality. However,
it is imperative for each of us is to look at the energy behind the action of
either the minority or the majority to see the reason for the action.
If the
minority is tolerant of the majority because the majority has the numbers on
its side, then that isn’t really True Tolerance. That is just an
understanding of sheer numbers. If the majority is tolerant of the minority’s
issues because it makes economic sense or is politically correct, that isn’t True
Tolerance, either. That is just using money to determine our morals and
our acceptance of the situation.
Embracing that each and all have a right to their opinion and
feelings, even if those opinions and feelings seem unfathomable at times, means
we must be tolerant when others are intolerant. Peacefully lobby to have laws
changed. Peacefully stand with others to have your voice heard or your position
brought forward. Seek to know where you still might have intolerance in your
heart and release it. Seek to understand the reasoning others might still have
intolerance or hatred in their hearts and then be tolerant of them.
Being intolerant back or hating someone back will not further
the energy of True Tolerance in our world. Only by changing the atmosphere
and energy of intolerance to tolerance will we have True Tolerance. This can
only be done by eradicating intolerance within ourselves first, and then
holding the space for others to eradicate intolerance within themselves.
Forcing tolerance on someone is not True Tolerance and will only change the situation or group of people to which an
intolerant person will show his intolerance. That might feel like a victory to the group
that is no longer being ridiculed, but it has not healed the full issue of
intolerance in our world. Let us change the underlying energy so that True
Tolerance can be the stepping stone to Universal Love.
2 comments:
Does this argument extend to tolerating the views of people who abuse others, say, in the name of religion? Or to those whose political views lead them to power through any means necessary, up to and including killing their opponents and, in the mean time, innocent bystanders? I am attempting to expand my level of tolerance, and these are questions that plague me.
The people who use religion, culture, power, etc. as an excuse to be intolerant to others or harm others are lacking the qualities of true self love, true self compassion, true self image, etc. Someone who is whole and complete within themselves will not be motivated to harm anyone else. They would have no need or desire to harm anyone else. There would be no need to invade another country or blow up a building or retaliate when invaded or someone else has blown up their building. I am not sure what the highest plan is for dealing with others who are violent. I am not an expert on recidivism on an individual or collective basis, but hate only begets more hate. The hope would be that the more society shows compassion, tolerance and love, the less violence we would have. Showing tolerance does not necessarily mean that you agree with the action or the idea. Showing tolerance does not mean that you allow someone else to harm you. Since this is a concept that most of us are still learning, there will be times when we don’t get it 100% as the Great Masters would. And that is when we need to be tolerant with ourselves for not yet being a more perfected version of ourselves. Amy, you posted the great quote from Mark Twain. ”Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail.” It works the same way for tolerance – every time you stop tolerance you will have intolerance. Thanks for the question. Love and Light, Lori
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