Thursday, October 25, 2012

Tolerance

Hello Friends,

It has been a long time that I wrote something and the recent spate of incidents have made me write this piece. Please try to read this and let me know your thoughts.
 
A Sign Of Our Times

Tolerance itself means the ability to endure/bear and respect with patience divergent views, thoughts, regions, religions and have a  fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own.

As you can infer, Tolerance in today's world only exists in Dictionaries and no where else. What it tells you is that we are increasingly becoming a society of "My Way or No Way" !


Is this what Religion has taught us to do?
In a larger context, all religions were created to peacefully co-exist and identify paths to merge with God albeit in different directions. Of late, the fervor and the relish shown in denouncing and issuing death warrants is not similarly shown in following the peaceful missions. It makes me wonder if our faith is SO WEAK that we believe our god/religion is bad just because some one portrays it in the wrong light ? Should we not be tolerant and let the dirty noises scream aloud till their voices become hoarse when they would stop doing it themselves? I prescribe to the tolerant version and I guess the trend however is all about "proscription" !
"Students" Protest -Should we be proud ?

Extending the same logic that I mentioned for religion, the same is applicable to a lot of other aspects in today's world and more so closer home. The tolerance towards people from other regions/castes/books and even movies is at an all time low. When confronted with reality, the only way out seems to be hitting out and indulging in mindless acts of violence in the name of  "principles". Every day  the media covers the sensational "news" rather than focusing on developmental or otherwise normal things that go on.


Remember this - Change starts with us

The question arises...are we no longer tolerant towards everything in life ? I say, NO. We are tolerant...WE ARE Tolerant towards Corruption, Politicians, Bureaucracy, Corporate Greed and so on. We brook them as if they are here to stay and our faith in them is unshakable ! It is ironic and perhaps funny that these are issues that directly impact all of us negatively, yet we do not choose to be intolerant towards them and try to change or force a change.

My theory on this is because we believe these are too large and can't be achieved by a single man's efforts. We can be easily intolerant and act violently when in a crowd - remember, Man is a Social Animal and can be an "animal" only when in a crowd and not when needed to confront things individually ?

I urge all of us to be intolerant towards the larger evils in life which when tamed will bring greater joy and makes us progress. Let's reject all modes of mob culture that promotes intolerance and inculcates violence on items that really do NOT matter.

Until next time.

Pavan 

2 comments:

  1. My 2 cents, I think people are ignorant towards politicians, Burecracy & corruption. We as an individual or in a mob do not see any of these acts as threats. Whereas anything towards religion shakes the fundamental belief of ours in relegion & god and that inpires an individaul to act violent specially when with/in mob. As always well written by pavan,relevant examples shared to express his view point, like reading the article.

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  2. "In a larger context, all religions were created to peacefully " ..highly debatable. especially Abrahamic religions do not believe in that... the intolerance debate has removed the veil that is on our society..
    we have problem with selective outrage. whatever be it.. it has to be consistent. post elections..this debate has died.. it will prop again around the next elections..
    we are slowly becoming intolerant towards politicians too as we saw in recent elections starting from 2014 GE.
    Media is the culprit I hope they change for the better.

    - Ravi K

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