this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2023
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Showerthoughts
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You can't fight intolerance with tolerance though.
I never said you should. I’m merely saying that we need to remember that the person being intolerant is a person, with the same complexities and nuances as every other person. I’m saying we ought to fight a lack of understanding by being understanding. We should fight intolerance with kindness and correction rather than combativeness.
When possible and within reason, obviously. But if our first response to intolerance is shunning and judgement, then there is no path to tolerance for that individual. If our goal is to improve society, it cannot be done with spite and punishment as the initial tools.
I wouldn’t be who I am today if people had decided not to engage with my youthful intolerance in a way that led me to think more.
Well that's very high minded of you, and I applaud your energy for this. I, however, no longer have the time nor the energy to engage with those kind of people. The difference between you and they is that you engaged in good faith and were willing to learn. They engage in bad faith and are only trying to disrupt and divide.
Kick them out and move on. They can learn by standing out in the cold. My kindness is reserved for those who abide by our social contract.
My original point was that saying something like this:
isn’t realistic or helpful. That it’s important to remember that people aren’t automatically stupid or lesser just because they are ignorant or misguided. It doesn’t take much energy to remember that even those who are intolerant are still people.
Whether you want to engage with them is a different story entirely! I know I rarely have the energy for it these days.