Be Intolerant Of Intolerance!

Life lessons from a hypocritical truth

 It’s true. We shouldn’t tolerate intolerance; we should nip it in the bud.

If we tolerate intolerance it spreads: racism, sexism, prejudices of all sorts, judgmentalism, negativity, bigotry, factions squaring off and fighting: right vs. left, this fundamentalism vs. that.

An eye for an eye just leaves the whole world blind.

To bring about greater harmony we must all be tolerant. No exceptions. Loving, listening and caring for each other, respecting each other’s opinions whatever they may be.

We have got to stamp out intolerance.

I hope you see the hypocrisy.

I love two-faced popular words of wisdom:

• Do not be negative (“not” is negative)
• You shouldn’t be judgmental (“shouldn’t” is a judgment)
• Commit yourself to flexibility (“commit“ is not flexible)

 People use them with singular earnestness, not noticing that they’re talking out of both sides of their mouths.

Talking out of both sides of our mouths is actually the truest reflection of the predicament we are all in.

Tolerance, love and acceptance are not always the answer. Nor are their opposites: Intolerance, holding high standards, drawing clear boundaries.

When we face the hypocrisy squarely it points us to the truest practical question; not whether to be tolerant or intolerant but when to be which? What to tolerate and what not to tolerate?

Those who don’t notice the hypocrisy don’t appreciate the predicament we’re all in and they permit themselves unconscionable liberty. They manage the predicament ineptly at best, self-servingly at worst, telling people not to be judgmental when they’re being criticized, and not noticing they’re being judgmental when criticizing others.

Speaking hypocritical truths as though they’re not hypocritical is license to do whatever one wants. If one can’t even see the inconsistency when the words are sitting right next to each other, it means one is willing to define the words any way one wants, most often self-servingly.

I think moral dilemmas are much more fundamental than moral principles. That’s why I love these hypocritical truths.