Getting way too soft/tolerant lately
in Psychology ·
mistybison said:Christian Sanchez4, you took the words right out of my mouth. 🙂 Tolerance isn't actually part of human nature. If we had the power, everyone would just reshape the world to fit their own standards and push away anyone who gets on their nerves. 😁 However, since we all have to coexist within the same American society despite our differences, we try our best to accept those variations and find ways to live alongside them. There is no such thing as a universally tolerant person. Everyone is tolerant of certain things, just not everything. I'm not even sure if total tolerance is an ideal worth striving for. Why force ourselves to tolerate something that goes against everything we stand for?
Tolerance is exactly what the word implies—it's about enduring or accepting something, not forcing yourself to actually like it.
Accepting someone or something that you don't personally agree with is simply an act of adaptation, and adaptation is fundamental to how humans evolve and move forward.
For instance, personally, I would find it unsettling to see an elderly man and a young woman being affectionate like a typical couple, or even more so an older woman and a younger man; the same applies to gay couples.
However, if I saw that, I wouldn't say a word to them, because I have no right to complain as long as they aren't hurting anyone.
Would I treat those people differently than "normal" people, perhaps when it comes to offering help? I don't think I would.
If I don't like certain things—meaning I find them distasteful—I shouldn't have to force myself to enjoy them. I should be able to feel what I feel.
Am I tolerant? Yes, I am.