Tolerance is defined as a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions, beliefs and practices that differ from one’s own. But to be honest, that sounds a bit complicated and difficult to understand, right? What is tolerance anyway? And is there any way I can be more tolerant?

Good for you, I am happy to help and introduce you to the basics of tolerant behaviour. Let’s get started!

1. Tolerance vs intolerance

Tolerance and intolerance are opposites, so to understand what tolerance is, we must define what intolerance is. Intolerant behaviour is indicated by a lack of tolerance, and the refusal to tolerate or respect people that you view as different from yourself. In short: you treat people poorly because you don’t agree with what they believe in and what they represent. Tolerance does not mean believing in or agreeing with everything that another person does. Being tolerant means to be able to allow and accept the existence of something that you might not necessarily believe. For some people, this process of acceptance can be very hard, because it can be difficult to understand that there is nothing wrong with having different beliefs and opinions.

2. What makes us different

There are lots of things that distinguish us from one another. Some of these factors are your heritage, religious beliefs, political views, sexuality, gender or disability. There are a lot more, but those are the ones I will be focussing on today. Each one of said factors makes us unique, and who we are, they define us. You have to accept that everyone is different, and that is completely fine. If a person wants to be who they are and believe in their beliefs, you have to accept their right to do so. And, frankly, it’s none of your business.

3. How can I be more tolerant?

Don’t hate what you don’t know. One of the most important steps to tolerant behaviour is to respect everyone, no matter what they believe in. Everybody has the right to think what they want to think, and it is your duty to accept their right to do so.

Also, don’t hate what you don’t know. To understand something, you have to get to know the subject. Familiarise yourself with things that might seem weird to you at first. In the end, you can only benefit from it.

Lastly, what you have to remember: Labels are for clothes, not for people. Treat everyone with respect. Improve your behaviour to become more tolerant and a more open-minded person. 

I hope my guide to tolerant behaviour helped you on your journey to becoming a more respectful and understanding person. Feel free to ask me any question you might have in the comments.

Elena Diehl