Today is International Day for Tolerance.
Be honest with yourself, do you actually know how to tolerate people? Yes? We know what it is, but do you know how?
For those who answered “Not really”, this how-to guide is for you:
Google is your friend
Google the definition. Too lazy to do that? Okay fine. I will tolerate laziness for now.
Tolerance: NOUN
[Mass noun] The ability or willingness to tolerate the existence of opinions or behaviour that one dislikes, or disagrees with.
Basically: Even if you think that your opinion is the bee's knees, it wouldn't hurt to hear the views of others.
Write it down
Now make a list of the people that you can't tolerate. This list may include annoying family members and your ex. If you can, get to the bottom of why you can’t tolerate them. Identify and then work from there.
Oh gosh, this sounds like a maths paper. Let's get to the next point.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T
Respect those that you can 'merely tolerate' because, at the end of the day, we are all human beings. People say this all the time. Even Meghan Trainor sang about it! But respecting people is more that just saying the magic words.
Can you meet me halfway...?
Try to be agreeable and if you can't agree, then compromise. Obviously, there are things that you won't always agree with. Compromise and meeting the other halfway is never a bad thing.
Contempt is like a fart.
Avoid expressing your contempt. Contempt is like a fart. If it goes out, it affects everyone and it will probably cause people to keep their distance.
Your best friend turns out to be a Trump supporter? Well, don't rant on social media about a certain friend's moral compass. To each their own.
Use the f-word.
Not that f-word. I'm talking about forgiveness. Forgive those that did you wrong. Holding on to grudges is stupid. What good does holding on to pain from the past do? Nothing. Exactly.
Go out on a date
Hang out with someone that you usually wouldn't hang out with, or someone you used to hang out with but 'just don't have the time to chill' with now. It might open your eyes to new views. We often talk to people who are similar to us. I am daring you to do the opposite.
Tolerance for all is not easy. We live in a world where it is easy to express how much you dislike certain people or views. Everyone wants their conflicts to be over (except comic villains) so why don’t we begin start with tolerance?
IOL Mojo