Tolerance; Key Towards Harmony and Peace

 I have been shocked and disturbed by the degree of vile hate fueled  diatribes spewed daily in social media during the American presidential campaign of 2016.

Thank God, this election will soon be over, but fearful that the need for mob propagated hatred and revenge  will continue.

Tolerance is a key component towards harmony within a society, marriage, family or friends.

Intolerance is a major problem leading to anger and division that  plagues us all.  We all want others to fit into our same opinions and philosophy of life and  for some people this provokes anger and resentment towards others who can not share their view.

Finding people who share our sameness may certainly be a validation of sorts, but the real truth of our conviction must come from within with the courage to be different from other opinions.  As we want others to respect our differences, we must also extend the same to others who differ in view.

Intolerance breeds intolerance as it is difficult to rise above a firmly entrenched prejudice from the start, that is handed down through generations.  In other words, intolerance is a learned behavior from our family.  Certain societies and religious extremists also breed and foster intolerance too.

Overly opinionated people have a tendency to want to control and dominate whomever they are with.  They are more interested in talking than listening and are in need to have the last word.

All of us can stay stuck in our neatly designed corners of opinions, as much as the others who differ from us.  Who are we to say that our view is the only valid position worthy of being heard and real?

In the end it does not matter whose ideology pans out to be right, but how you treated others in view of the various differences at hand.  To demolish those who are not on the same train of thought as you is to set yourself aside in arrogance.

When we can not accord enough space for others who have different opinions from us, we create divisions  that leads to dissonance  and resentment.  This in turns can lead to alienation and avoidance.

Living and traveling abroad is a wonderful way to see the multitudes of differing cultural values that we may not be otherwise aware.  Even without travel, thanks to the worldwide connection of the net, we can study and learn from others sharing our planet.

When we limit ourselves to just our corner of the world, and never take an interest in the plight of others, we develop an island mentality.  Pride in your country is lovely, but thinking that your country is the only significant one on the planet is narrow-minded at best.

Though our convictions may be different politically, religiously and philosophical in nature, we must allow and defend the right of others who differ to be heard with respect.  It is part of diplomacy which must be centered amongst humans as a right of dignity accorded to all.

Any  individual that leans towards inviting violence by overtly desecrating, humiliating, bullying or brutally ridiculing a religion, race, political opinions, gender variations, sexual orientations,  can destroy  psychological tolerance and recreates the same violent extremes seen in extremist religious terrorists and dangerous dictators.

Bullying en masse pushes the limits, and not surprisingly can incite violence.   To  resent my brothers and sisters who can not share my own train of view is a commiseration of violence towards them hidden from view.

They have every right as we, to believe as they do, if they are not insisting on imposing their beliefs on others, as a dictator would.  It takes conscientious listening and understanding to how their upbringing, their life trials and hardships, education, including their lack of or degree of exposure to other cultures, have shaped their philosophy.

Tolerance and understanding are fundamental to building bridges between us and those “others”, but is must be a two-way street.