What About Tolerance?
Tolerance does not mean you agree with someone. Tolerance only exists when you disagree.
Watch the video and have a discussion with your class or someone you know. Below, there are some suggested questions or writing prompts.
Words have definitions and meanings. When we are talking to each other, it’s important that we are using words in a way that we all understand. If we are using a word and understand it differently, it may cause misunderstandings.
The word “tolerance” is one of these words that people use in different ways.
The definition of tolerance is
“The ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.”
In other words, tolerance means we understand that different opinions and behaviors exist that we may not agree with.
However, some people believe that tolerance means you must accept different opinions and behaviors even if you disagree with them. That is not tolerance.
Tolerance does not mean you agree with someone. Tolerance only exists when you disagree.
If two people think peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the best sandwiches ever, they don’t have to tolerate each other. They both agree.
But if one person thinks peanut butter and pickle sandwiches are the best sandwiches and you disagree, then you can tolerate each other. You tolerate the fact that someone has a different opinion than you do, but it doesn’t mean that you have to agree or accept their opinion as your own.
This means that other people can have different opinions than you do and you're not always right. Sometimes you have to agree to disagree. That’s tolerance.
We will not agree with everyone all of the time and that’s okay. But we can be respectful of other people even when we disagree.
Tolerance is having self-awareness and curiosity about opinions that are different from your own as well as having self-management to respect those differences.
Questions for Discussion and Writing Prompts:
What do you think about the word tolerance? What do you think it means? Is your definition different than what I said it means?
How do you see the word tolerance being used? How do you see tolerance being acted out around you?
What does it mean to agree to disagree?
Have you ever disagreed with someone and got angry about someone else’s opinion? Do you think that was the right response? Why or why not?
Do you think it’s possible to disagree with someone or to tolerate their opinion without getting angry? Why or why not?
What can you do to better tolerate people that you disagree with?
Do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? What about peanut butter and pickle sandwiches? If not, what is your favorite sandwich?
