“I’m not tolerant - I care,” read the lines from a song by a well-known Russian musician. I couldn't agree more. Tolerance is not synonymous with indifference. Tolerance presupposes the ability and ability to respect, accept and recognize the rights of other people, their interests, tastes, and freedom. But one cannot be tolerant of such concepts as aggression, violence, cruelty.
Universal human values are life, freedom, health, family. But does someone who destroys or takes other lives have the right to life? Where is the line of tolerance? Does she exist? How to find her? Let's figure it out.
Problems of today
Somehow, imperceptibly and without unnecessary talk, we entered the 21st century. What was once considered a fantastic future now seems like an ordinary present. The development of technology, colossal progress, it would seem that all this is supposed to change life for the better and smooth out negative influences. But the crime rate continues to rise, and aggressive behavior in society is intensifying.
This can also be seen at the global level: conflicts between states, the desire to seize new lands and eradicate independence. The same thing happens in ordinary interpersonal communication. The stronger in character strive for power and influence over the weak, not taking into account their interests, but pursuing personal gain.
Confrontation against the background of ethnic differences has a particularly strong influence on the development of negative tendencies.
Perhaps it is a tolerant person who is the key to a future without war, murder and violence. But raising a new generation with similar qualities takes time and desire.
Concept of tolerance
This concept has both philosophical and social significance. In principle, they both reflect one single essence - tolerance. The ability to calmly relate to habits, views, and morals that are different from one’s own.
This quality must be developed in relation to the culture of other peoples and nations, various religious movements. A tolerant person is always more confident in himself. He is aware of personal positions and is open to comparison with other points of view. Not afraid to try and learn new things.
G. K. Chesterton said: “Tolerance is the virtue of people who believe in nothing.” That is why it is necessary to have certain moral standards, boundaries that a person is not ready to cross. Because it is impossible to be tolerant of everything.
The concepts of tolerance and permissiveness, indifference to values should not be confused.
By showing respect for the values of other people, their faith, culture, you can learn a lot of new things and meet incredible personalities. To be open is to experience the world every day. But at the same time, you should not allow yourself to be filled with “garbage,” negative emotions, and hostility.
Tolerant personality article on the topic
"Tolerant Personality"
A tolerant person is a person who knows himself well and understands other people. When we talk about a tolerant person, we do not mean a rejection of our own views, value orientations and ideals. Tolerance should not be reduced to the infringement of one’s own interests, but presupposes, on the one hand, stability, as a person’s ability to realize his personal positions, and on the other, flexibility, as the ability to respect the positions and values of other people.
Today, the task of fostering tolerance should permeate the activities of all social institutions and, first of all, those who have a direct impact on the formation of the child’s personality. In our work, we strive to form moral values in children, which are the most important indicators of the integrity of an individual who is capable of creating their own idea of their future path in life.
At the present stage of development of society, the need has arisen to form a culture of tolerance among the younger generation, starting from preschool age.
The formation of this most important quality occurs already in childhood in the context of family and educational institutions, and continues throughout life with the development of education.
Definition of the word "tolerance":
In Russian - the ability to endure something or someone (to be self-possessed, hardy, persistent, to be able to put up with the existence of something, someone).
The basis of tolerance is the recognition of the right to difference. It manifests itself in accepting another person as he is, respecting another point of view, restraint towards what one does not share, understanding and accepting the traditions, values and culture of representatives of another nationality and faith.
In solving the problems of developing tolerance, a special role is assigned to preschool education and upbringing as the initial stage in the moral development of a child. Tolerance, respect, acceptance and a correct understanding of the world's cultures should be instilled at an early age, in kindergarten. Treating representatives of different nationalities with respect and respect is an integral condition of tolerant education, and we educators must bring to the consciousness of children that people are equal in their dignity and rights, although they are different in nature. The period of preschool childhood is very important for the development of a child’s personality: throughout the entire preschool period, mental functions intensively develop, complex types of activities are formed, and the foundations of cognitive abilities are laid.
In order for the work on developing tolerance in preschoolers to be fruitful, it is necessary to involve a wide range of events and different types of activities for preschoolers.
Range of events and different types of activities for preschoolers:
1) holding holidays and other mass forms in order to introduce children to the culture and traditions of their people and the peoples of the world; theatrical activities of preschoolers according to scenarios based on fairy tales of the peoples of the world;
2) role-playing games for preschoolers, the main goal of which is the development and practical application by children of methods of tolerant interaction;
3) Russian folk outdoor games;
4) holding Russian folk holidays, for example, “Maslenitsa”, “Christmas” in accordance with the folk calendar;
5) study of folk holidays of the closest neighboring countries, Scandinavian folk holidays; holidays of the peoples of the East and Muslim countries; 6) introducing children to the traditions of peoples of different countries;
7) with the traditions of celebrating the New Year, May 1, April 1 in different countries;
games-activities created on materials from various fairy tales in order to solve problems of interpersonal interaction in fairy-tale situations;
9) composing fairy tales and stories by the children themselves; fairy tale dramatizations.
Of course, the formation of tolerance occurs gradually, because all children are different: some are friendly, active, others are shy, others are reserved, each with their own individual abilities and characteristics.
Conclusion: Thus, in its broad sense, the word “tolerance” means tolerance for other people’s opinions and actions, the ability to relate to them without irritation. The basis of tolerance is the recognition of the right to difference. It manifests itself in accepting another person as he is, respecting another point of view, restraint towards what one does not share, understanding and accepting the traditions, values and culture of representatives of another nationality and faith. The task of fostering tolerance should permeate the activities of all social institutions and, first of all, those who have a direct impact on the formation of the child’s personality.
Basic principles
If you think about the question of what a tolerant person means, you can come to the conclusion: such a concept includes a number of qualities. In addition, you can show tolerance in completely different areas of life.
For example, politics. This is a particularly important part where tolerance must be constant. Respect and acceptance of other points of view in government, tolerance towards people with different political views. But even here it is very difficult to achieve mutual understanding. Conflict situations on this basis can flare up among friends and family. And if you are unable to accept the choice of another person, then it is best to stop such conversations as soon as they begin.
Tolerance is also necessary in science. Today, there are various theories and assumptions, everyone chooses what to believe. However, this is not a reason to ridicule and condemn others for their different view of the world.
The manifestation of this quality is indispensable for people who occupy leadership positions. They must be open-minded and ready for constructive dialogue. The ability to find common interests will help inspire the team to new achievements.
In order to understand how to raise a tolerant person, it is necessary to study in detail the entire breadth of this quality.
Types of tolerance
Above we got acquainted with the areas of application. But tolerance can be divided into several types, applying the concept to a person’s personality. This is dividing it from a psychological point of view.
The very first manifestations of tolerance are inherent in us from birth. This is a natural human quality that allows a child to accept his parents as they are. He does not understand what is good and what is bad in adult behavior. In infancy, social skills have not yet been formed; the formation of one’s own personality is just beginning. On the one hand, this is a convenient and necessary way to help you feel protected, but in special cases, the negative influence of the family can harm the baby’s psyche.
With development and maturation, experience accumulates and the moral side of the issue appears. Quite often, a tolerant person restrains his emotions and suppresses them within himself. How often do moments arise when we have to endure people whose opinions fundamentally do not coincide with ours. This is one of the main problems of modern society - non-acceptance of each other, but only an external manifestation of understanding.
The most developed quality is moral tolerance. This is the ability not only to accept other people's views, but also your own. Don’t be afraid to show them, believe in your own rightness.
Example of a negative point
An example where tolerance led to negative consequences is the resettlement of some refugees from Arab countries to civilized European cities. The problem is that they came to “someone else’s monastery with their own rules.” Their cultural values, inherent in underdeveloped countries, contradict the values of civilized countries and act as a kind of atavism, a relic of the past, savagery. The list of such values includes various medieval rituals (sacrifice, brutal battles, etc.) or rude, sometimes violent, treatment of women.
The most important and surprising thing is that refugees demand to be tolerant of their way of life, absolutely not accepting and condemning the value system of the country that gave them shelter. In this example, you can see a situation where unreasonable tolerance of a different way of life led to negative consequences and the emergence of new difficulties.
How to develop tolerance?
What a tolerant person means is very well described by the domestic teacher Vulfov. In his understanding, this is a person capable of harmoniously coexisting with other people who have their own mentality and lead a different way of life.
In the modern world, the aspect of cultivating a tolerant and respectful attitude towards other cultures is becoming increasingly clear. This requires special attention and a detailed approach. For good interethnic communication, it is necessary to understand and accept the characteristics of other peoples and at the same time respect one’s historical values.
Firstly, it is necessary to teach a calm attitude towards other cultures and movements. At the same time, a person must be able to analyze and highlight points that differ from general standards, and distinguish between both positive and negative details. Secondly, you need to constantly learn, develop, and get to know the world. Learn new cultures and rules. Thirdly, it is necessary to appreciate the achievements of other people.
The main thing to understand is that there are differences, and that's not a bad thing.
Relationships between people and ways to develop tolerance
It is necessary to recognize that people differ in appearance, they have differences in speech, in values and behavior. And other people have the right to live in this world, preserving their individual characteristics, so you cannot impose your views on them against their will.
One of the ways to develop tolerance is to convey to a person the norms and rules of behavior that are significant for society. They were created as a result of the vast historical experience of interaction between different cultures.
They allow you to develop harmoniously and evenly.
The whole world has a common value system, which is reflected in the legislation of many states. This includes the principles of human rights, a tolerant attitude towards the mistakes of others, the desire for non-violent resolution of difficult situations, the ability to show compassion, and recognize the value of human life.
Another important component for the development of tolerance is the need for a person to understand himself, expand his horizons, and acquire his own ideological position.
These qualities enable a person to understand what he is like. It also helps him to be more positive and act appropriately. This has a beneficial effect on a person’s self-esteem.
From Shchekoldina’s point of view, when a person begins to understand the world around him, he is first of all deeply interested in himself, in his inner world.
A person begins to be interested in himself, his own life, his own qualities, and begins to compare himself with other people. Thanks to developed tolerance, a person perceives himself and the people around him much more adequately.
How to distinguish a tolerant person?
Every day we communicate with a lot of people: family, friends, colleagues, random passers-by, store clerks. Have you ever wondered which of them has this quality? Let's try to answer the question: what is a tolerant person?
It is worth noting that the main acceptance is personal. If your acquaintance or friend knows how to take responsibility for his actions and in difficult situations does not shift the blame to others, then his internal tolerance is working. Such a person understands perfectly well that “I am the ideal” and “I am the real” are often two different things. An adequate assessment of one’s own personality, a critical attitude towards oneself - these are the foundations of a tolerant person.
In addition, such people are always open to new things. They are sociable and non-aggressive. They are interested in the world in all its manifestations. Such people do not divide everything into black and white, but are willing to put others into perspective. These are independent and strong individuals who know how to work for results. They are not alien to a sense of humor, this is especially evident in the opportunity to laugh at their own shortcomings, which no one is deprived of.
Physiology
Continuing to list the types of tolerance in psychology, it is necessary to note this criterion. He is one of the most deplorable.
Lack of physiological tolerance is manifested in disrespectful, mocking, contemptuous attitude towards disabled people, sick people, as well as inferior individuals or those who have external defects.
It is sad. Intolerant people not only offend those who are unlucky in some way (often through no fault of their own) - they also do not recognize their freedoms and rights.
How to identify a person who does not have tolerance?
From what you have read above, it is easy enough to conclude what the antipode is. People who are selfish, narcissistic, with a strong belief in their own ideality are not tolerant. They are not used to losing and if they lose, they blame everyone but themselves.
Society causes them fears and fears. Everyone seems to be an enemy who is up to something dastardly. In this regard, communication with such people is quite difficult. They are reserved and taciturn. In any situation, no matter how it turns out, they do not see their own influence. It seems to them that nothing depends on them. Any assessment is based on the personal “I”. Such people have difficulty accepting democracy; strict control is preferable to them.
With age, it becomes more and more difficult to develop the qualities of a tolerant person, so attention should be paid to this from birth.
conclusions
From everything said above, it is clear what tolerance is and what the meaning of the word is. A tolerant person does not have any narrow definitions. These are psychological, moral, ethical standards. This quality is inherent in everyone from birth, but can be lost. A warm, respectful atmosphere in the family is the basis on which further education is built.
For the world to acquire new shades for us, to sparkle with all the colors of the rainbow, we need to open our mind and soul, we need to believe in ourselves and in others.
