TOLERANCE vs. Prejudice
• Realizing that everyone is at
varying levels of character
development.
Tolerance comes from a Latin verb tolerare,
meaning, “to bear.”
• This is the ability to go through
trials and difficulty with a positive
healthy perspective, even if you
disagree.
Our character will only grow when someone or
something else puts it to the test.
• Thus, Tolerance is the ability to see the
difference that you might have with
someone or something, learn from it,
and become strong because of it.
Tolerance versus Prejudice.
• Prejudice is pre + judge, drawing a
conclusion based on things that we are not
sure of, or do not have the facts to know.
• Tolerance will allow the person to show
their true character through time.
Gary Tindle was in a California
courtroom charged with robbery.
• He asked the judge (Armando Rodrigues) if
he could go to the bathroom. The question
is, “could he be trusted to go?” Without prejudging Gary’s character the judge allowed
him to go with a guard.
• Showing tolerance.
While the bathroom door was
guarded,
• Gary climbed up the plumbing into the
panels of the ceiling. There he found a
crawlspace and began to head south to find
a way out. He’d gone about thirty feet when
the ceiling gave way and he fell to the floor.
Right in front of judge Rodrigues.
Real tolerance will bring out the
truth in someone else.
• Tolerance (realizing that Gary’s character
was at a different level then the judge) was
given until no more prejudice was needed,
the facts were now known.
Tolerance is a quality that supports an
individual in spite of their character flaws.
• However, this is not in support of their
flaws. To “wink” at character violations
would encourage bad character and lead to a
collapse of character and morals in the
community.
Tolerance is not lowering the
high standards of character.
• Tolerance is keeping the standards high and
encouraging others to pursue higher standards
without rejecting those individuals when they fall
short. Tolerance does not condone bad character
or failure, but supports the person by leading them
to understand that we must all grow and live
together with our flaws in this world until our
flaws are worked out, or forced out.
A little girl was being picked on
in her school when she reported it
to her teacher.
• The teacher took the girl to the principle
and he began to question her on asset
building skills. His first question was, “Do
you know what tolerance is?” She replied
“yes, there are shorter ants and there are
taller ants but they all work together.”
• She was accurate.
IN THE WORKPLACE
How can I show tolerance?
• Look past what the person is doing, and look to
what he can do.
• Understand that this person had a different
upbringing and possibly a different lifestyle.
• Try to pick out all the positive things about the
person and promote those things.
• Always be above reproach so that person will
respect the influence that you may have in their life.
How can I show more
• Take on the responsibility of possibly pouring your
life into this person for a period of time.
• Always remember, If you don’t bear (show
tolerance) one another’s character as a part of your
responsibility now, then the rest of the world may
have to do it later.
• Tolerance isn’t putting up with the “Hitler’s” in
society, it’s changing them by positive influence
(character) in their life. Their character will only
grow when someone else invests in them.
• Now we can go to work.