Let us not speak of tolerance. This negative word implies grudging concessions by smug consciences. Rather, let us speak of mutual understanding and mutual respect.
—Dominique Pire (1910–69) Belgian Clergyman, Educator
History leaves no doubt that among of the most regrettable crimes committed by human beings have been committed by those human beings who thought of themselves as civilized. What, we must ask, does our civilization possess that is worth defending? One thing worth defending, I suggest, is the imperative to imagine the lives of beings who are not ourselves and are not like ourselves: animals, plants, gods, spirits, people of other countries, other races, people of the other sex, places and enemies.
—Wendell Berry (b.1934) American Poet, Novelist, Environmentalist
Those wearing tolerance for a label call other views intolerable.
—Phyllis McGinley (1905–78) American Children’s Books Writer, Poet, Writer of Children’s Books
Tolerance is another word for indifference.
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
There is a limit at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue.
—Edmund Burke (1729–97) British Philosopher, Statesman
No human trait deserves less tolerance in everyday life, and gets less, than intolerance.
—Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837) Italian Poet, Essayist, Philosopher
The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.
—Ralph Washington Sockman (1889–1970) American United Methodist Pastor
I’m quite sure that … I have no race prejudices, and I think I have no color prejudices nor caste prejudices nor creed prejudices. Indeed, I know it. I can stand any society. All that I care to know is that a man is a human being—that is enough for me he can’t be any worse.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
What is tolerance?—it is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other’s folly—that is the first law of nature.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Toleration is the best religion.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
You’ve got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
Of people whose skin is a different shade.
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
—Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960) American Songwriter, Composer, Theater Producer, Writer
Persecution was at least a sign of personal interest. Tolerance is composed of nine parts of apathy to one of brotherly love.
—Frank Moore Colby (1865–1925) American Encyclopedia Editor, Essayist
Deal with the faults of others as gently as with your own.
—Chinese Proverb
If you cannot mould yourself entirely as you would wish, how can you expect other people to be entirely to your liking?
—Thomas a Kempis (1379–1471) German Religious Priest, Writer
Do you want a sign that you’re asleep? Here it is: you’re suffering. Suffering is a sign that you’re out of touch with the truth. Suffering is given to you that you might open your eyes to the truth, that you might understand that there’s falsehood somewhere, just as physical pain is given to you so you will understand that there is disease or illness somewhere. Suffering occurs when you clash with reality. When your illusions clash with reality, when your falsehoods clash with truth, then you have suffering. Otherwise there is no suffering.
—Anthony de Mello (1931–87) Indian-born American Theologian
The responsibility of tolerance lies with those who have the wider vision.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
The highest result of education is tolerance. Long ago men fought and died for their faith; but it took ages to teach them the other kind of courage,—the courage to recognize the faiths of their brethren and their rights of conscience. Tolerance is the first principal of community; it is the spirit which conserves the best that all men think.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
Since others have to tolerate my weaknesses, it is only fair that I should tolerate theirs.
—William Allen White (1868–1944) American Editor, Politician, Author
A thick skin is a gift from God.
—Konrad Adenauer (1876–1967) German Statesman
The Lord who proclaimed the Law of Sinai is the God of all nations.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.
—Maya Angelou (1928–2014) American Poet
Nothing dies so hard, or rallies so often as intolerance.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
Tolerance is the positive and cordial effort to understand another’s beliefs, practices, and habits without necessarily sharing or accepting them.
—Joshua L. Liebman (1907–48) American Jewish Rabbi, Author
World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbor—it requires only that they live together with mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.
—Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960) American Novelist
Travel teaches tolerance.
—Benjamin Disraeli (1804–81) British Head of State
People are very open-minded about new things—as long as they’re exactly like the old ones.
—Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American Inventor, Entrepreneur, Businessperson
If Woody Allen were a Muslim, he’d be dead by now.
—Salman Rushdie (b.1947) Indian-born British Novelist
Intolerance is evidence of impotence.
—Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) English Occultist, Mystic, Magician
I always prefer to believe the best of everybody — it saves so much trouble.
—Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) British Children’s Books Writer, Short story, Novelist, Poet, Journalist
How do we create a harmonious society out of so many kinds of people? The key is tolerance—the one value that is indispensable in creating community.
—Barbara Jordan (1936–96) American Lawyer, Educator, Politician
Give to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself.
—Robert G. Ingersoll (1833–99) American Lawyer, Orator, Agnostic
Hypocrisy, the lie, is the true sister of evil, intolerance, and cruelty.
—Raisa Gorbacheva (1932–99) Russian Activist
Tolerance is only another name for indifference.
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
Intolerance betrays want of faith in one’s cause.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.
—Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) South African Political leader
We need to promote greater tolerance and understanding among the peoples of the world. Nothing can be more dangerous to our efforts to build peace and development than a world divided along religious, ethnic or cultural lines. In each nation, and among all nations, we must work to promote unity based on our shared humanity.
—Kofi Annan (1938–2018) Ghanaian Statesman, International Diplomat
Through the centuries, the history of peoples is but a lesson in mutual tolerance.
—Emile Zola (1840–1902) French Novelist
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.
—The 14th Dalai Lama (b.1935) Tibetan Buddhist Religious Leader, Civil Rights Leader, Philosopher, Author
What is objectionable, what is dangerous, about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents.
—Robert F. Kennedy (1925–68) American Politician, Civil Rights Activist
I think we have to own the fears that we have of each other, and then, in some practical way, some daily way, figure out how to see people differently than the way we were brought up to.
—Alice Walker (b.1944) American Novelist, Activist
Intolerance is the “Do Not Touch” sign on something that cannot bear touching. We do not mind having our hair ruffled, but we will not tolerate any familiarity with the toupee which covers our baldness.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
One need only grow old to become gentler in one’s judgments. I see no fault committed which I could not have committed myself.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
I do not like the word tolerance, but could not think of a better one. Tolerance implies a gratuitous assumption of the inferiority of other faiths to one.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
Light came to me when I realized that I did not have to consider any racial group as a whole. God made them duck by duck and that was the only way I could see them.
—Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960) American Novelist
Minds are like parachutes—they only function when open.
—Thomas Dewar, 1st Baron Dewar (1864–1930) Scottish Businessperson
When travelling with someone, take large doses of patience and tolerance with your morning coffee
—Helen Hayes (1900–93) American Actor, Philanthropist
Whereas each man claims his freedom as a matter of right, the freedom he accords to other men is a matter of toleration.
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974) American Journalist, Political Commentator, Writer
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman