Tolerance means happiness for everyone
Tolerance means happiness for everyone
Much ado is made of practicing tolerance. It is made to seem like a heavy word and very difficult to practice. It seems to indicate that one has to totally give up their own interests, rights, comforts and happiness in order to be tolerant to others.
But this is not true. Tolerance does not mean giving up one’s own way of life. Tolerance is following the motto “Live and Let Live!”. Tolerance is just understanding another person’s beliefs, practices and habits without necessarily accepting them or following them. It is simply being a little unselfish. It is giving others a small piece of the pie. It is adjusting to others a little, giving up just a little to make someone else happy. It is understanding that everyone has, more or less the same basic needs as oneself. It is realizing that ultimately everyone wants to be happy and peaceful.
The thing to understand is that tolerance does not help others alone. It helps oneself a great deal. When one is tolerant, the mind expands and ventilates. Habitual selfish junk is replaced with fresh peacefulness and calm. It cannot be defined and expressed in tangible terms, but it can be felt and experienced in the mind.
Intolerance to a different race, religion or sex
Most of the times, intolerance for people from other races or places is just a bad habit. We watch our parents do it, we listen to erroneous religious interpretations and conveniently ignore the good ones, which say that you should be good and kind to everyone, that you should be a little unselfish, that everyone is the image of God etc.
Another reason for intolerance is basic racial hatred. Again, either this is inherent in the person, or deeply ingrained such that even when one knows and understands theoretically that it is wrong to treat another person badly, they just find it hard to practice it. This also could be because of the influence of our parents or churches that preach superiority of a certain race, sex or religion.
I want to stress just one thing, folks! What about common sense? Just for a moment, forget what religion you belong you, whether you are male or female, how rich you are, what color you are, what features you have and where you come from. Forget what your preacher said, or how your parents, relatives and friends have brainwashed you.
What do you see? A red-blooded person, who is hungry and wants food, wants shelter, wants at least some basic comforts, wants to be happy, wants the family to be happy. Isn’t it? And if someone comes along and takes these all away from you, and gives you a particular reason for it, how would you feel? Then what prevents one from understanding that everyone will feel the same way?
Why? Does one think that it cannot happen to themselves? Believe me, whatever happens to others, can sooner or later happen to oneself. This is certain. Also, whatever goes around comes around. If only people understand this, they will be a lot more tolerant to others.
Therefore, just a little kindness, understanding, empathy, a smile, goes a long way towards not only helping others, but obtaining an inexplicable calmness and peace of mind within oneself. It is good for the soul. It is just a matter of changing our erroneous thinking habits, preconceived notions and hatred for others. Just practiced once, it will change the old ignorant habit to a refreshing one.
Intolerance for people different from oneself is a disease that can eat one’s mind and soul in time. It will never give someone true, lasting peace or happiness. Tolerance, on the other hand, liberates the mind, refreshes the Heart and Soul and brings joy and peacefulness.
Intolerance between a couple
Some people like everything to happen their own way. They absolutely don’t believe in giving in a little, once in a while. Things have to be placed where they want, activities should go on according to their own opinions, whims and fancies. Dishes have to be cooked in a certain way, and only the food items that they like. God forbid that others should like less chillies or salt! Others have to eat it that way. Everything needs to happen the way they see fit. They cannot accept other people’s suggestions or sacrifice their own interests a little to meet other half way.
At the outset, the question may arise, what’s wrong with it? After all, it’s the others who may be unhappy or pissed off. Those who have their own way are not affected by it. This is absolutely not true. What affects others will eventually affect the one who is selfish, in one way or the other.
When one does not acknowledge the need of others to have some things done their way too, there will be irritation, fretting and fuming. Introvert people will keep it to themselves and fume inside. Extrovert people will express themselves and confront. Most likely, there will be arguments, or outbursts. Either way, peace is lost, there is only unhappiness. And if any of the people involved are of the type to hold a grudge, or let things linger in their minds for a long time, life cannot be fun for a while. It will be especially unhappy when they don’t ever like apologizing for anything, even if it is their fault!
And if this goes on for a while without being questioned, one may keep getting away with such an intolerant behavior and dictator attitude, and the other person or persons may not say anything for a while. But the anger and irritation will keep accumulating in them, and their pent up emotions will explode one day and cause chaos in the family.
Tolerance with children cannot be emphasized enough
Probably the most important tolerance of all is the tolerance towards children. Children are delicate. When they make mistakes, or become an annoyance, it is very important to be tolerant with them. Yes, discipline is a must and it must be taught at home. I have seen parents who put on a show outside in the mall or other public places, loudly telling their kids to behave themselves, while letting them scream and run around to the dismay and horror of all the other people. If this was taught properly at home, there won’t be any need for all this. However, discipline does not have to harm a child in any way. Scary parents are not fun to be with, and if the child is regularly pointed out for mistakes made, the child will grow up emotionally unstable and lacking self-confidence.
Tolerance is a must in a large family
If a couple have difference of opinions and have to make an effort to get along with each other, imagine a large family with children and other members of the family. It goes without saying that tolerance is rather mandatory in a big household.
Tolerance does good for everyone
The truth is tolerance does good for everyone. One just cannot be happy when others around are unhappy. Most human beings are kind and loving. If they just add tolerance to their vocabulary, this world will be a much happier to place to live in.
Tolerance really is underestimated. It will make the home and the world a happy and peaceful place to live in.