With a little compassion and tolerance for each other not only would there be peace, but a genuine shift in human consciousness.

What Are We Really Talking About When We Talk About Tolerance?

When we hear the word tolerance, what comes to mind? Is it about putting up with that one coworker who always seems to push our buttons? Is it about not snapping at our kids or spouse when we’re running low on patience? Maybe it’s about resisting the urge to yell at that other driver who just cut us off in traffic?

Sure, those moments test us. They challenge our self-control and poke at our sense of justice, fairness, and even our egos. And let’s be honest—sometimes we feel completely justified in our reactions. Maybe we are right in how we’ve chosen to feel about certain people or their views. But… maybe we’re not. Maybe we’ve jumped to conclusions or let old wounds and assumptions cloud our perspective.

And here’s the deeper question: are we only looking outward when we talk about tolerance? What about tolerating ourselves?

Can we sit quietly with our own imperfections, our missteps, our messy humanity—and not beat ourselves up over it? Can we learn to hold compassion for our own growth process just as we try to do for others?

Tolerance doesn’t mean agreement. It’s not about giving up our values or pretending everything is fine when it’s not. It’s about the space we create—between stimulus and response—where understanding might be possible. It’s about listening before we react, questioning our assumptions, and being humble enough to admit we might not see the whole picture.

Just because we don’t share someone’s religion, politics, lifestyle, or outlook doesn’t mean there’s nothing to connect over. There’s almost always something—some shared human experience, some value, some thread of common ground we can hold onto.

Tolerance invites us to slow down. To resist the rush to judgment. To pause long enough to consider that maybe, just maybe, there’s more to the story than we can see from our angle.

And maybe true peace comes not from being right, but from being open—open to being wrong, open to learning, open to seeing someone (even ourselves) through a more generous lens.

That kind of peace? It’s powerful. It’s healing. And it just might be what this world needs a lot more of.

Who am I to judge you? Who are you to judge me?

“The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.” Ralph W. Sockman

“Slow down life just happens”

I will speak my mind caring for how others feelings are affected.

“Tolerance implies a gratuitous assumption of the inferiority of other faiths to one’s own” Mahatma Gandhi

A Great Day for Growth

Today is a great day to work on myself—and to share what I’m learning with others. Personal growth, especially spiritual growth, doesn’t happen in isolation. It comes when I’m willing to open up, challenge my perspectives, and be humble enough to learn from the world around me.

If I truly want to grow spiritually, I have to be open—not just to my own beliefs, but to the views, values, and principles of all religions. That doesn’t mean I have to agree with everything I hear. It doesn’t mean I have to adopt every practice or doctrine. But it does mean being willing to listen. To seek understanding before judgment. To ask myself honestly: Do I really understand what this person is saying? Or am I reacting from a place of assumption or bias?

There may be parts of certain religions I struggle with. That’s okay. That’s part of being human. But I have to stay mindful that, often, when I take the time to truly listen, I discover that we’re not so different after all. The language may vary. The rituals may look different. But the core teachings—love, compassion, service, connection, reverence—often share a beautiful common ground.

It’s also worth remembering that while religion has been blamed for many acts of war and division throughout history, it has also been a force for incredible good. Religions have fed the hungry, comforted the grieving, sheltered the poor, healed the sick, and inspired generations to live with kindness and purpose. The light far outweighs the shadow.

So today, I choose to be open. I choose to listen. I choose to grow—not just for myself, but so I can better contribute to a more understanding, more connected world.

— Scott Henning

“Tolerance of others is made easier knowing we all deal with suffering”