Intolerance - We shouldn't tolerate it.

"Lacking respect for practices & beliefs other than one's own. Unable or unwilling to tolerate or endure".

I think I'm fairly tolerant - most of the time. I don't think I have big issues with things like religion, ethnicity, sexuality or politics. I mostly believe that people have a right to their beliefs & opinions, even if they are not my own. I might openly disagree & engage in heated discussion, but I'm more likely to want to question & understand.

There are things that I think a human being should not tolerate though. Broadly these would be the behaviours which are against the core beliefs of most of the worlds religions. Simply put we should not tolerate a lack of respect for and care of other human beings. Human beings are infinitely diverse in every way. That is their right so long as they do no harm. We do not have the right to discriminate against those who are different.

But we do it all the time. Historically we pick on individuals or groups who are different. We bully, torture and kill. We always have done. The question is why? What is it about the human psyche that makes us form groups who target this or that set of people? Is there some deep psychological reason to explain this quite prevalent behaviour in all corners & all peoples of the world?

I don't know the answer, but given all the news stories at the moment which are rooted in intolerance of some sort or other, it seems an important question to probe & try to find an answer to.