Four Keys To Be More Tolerant

Tolerance is a fundamental virtue that everyone should develop. Think about it. In our society, people have daily contact with others. First, being more tolerant can help you avoid arguments and interpersonal conflicts. In addition, it can enable you to get to know other opinions and points of view. So why is it so hard to be tolerant?

People build their identities around their values, opinions and beliefs. That’s why they try to protect themselves. It is normal to feel in danger when confronted with a different perspective, especially one that completely contradicts your own.

Some individuals are quite inflexible and prone to dichotomous “black and white” thinking, and this undoubtedly hinders their ability to think outside the box and accept other opinions. You can follow several strategies if you want to become more tolerant.

Keys to being more tolerant

Recognize your own prejudices

As we mentioned above, it’s natural to try to keep your beliefs intact. To do this, you can come up with several cognitive biases. For example, you can seek and accept information that matches your ideas. Likewise, you can ignore or reject those who contradict your ideas. This process is usually automatic. Knowing this will help you open your mind.

Before labeling an idea as invalid, think about why you’re doing it. Is it because it really doesn’t seem true or just because it goes against your current opinion? Try yourself also inform about the different views are there. Allow yourself to be taught. It’s okay to change your mind!

Be open to diversity

If one thing is true, it is that intolerance often stems from ignorance, from staying in closed social circles and environments. When this happens, it’s typical to resort to stereotypes to judge an entire group of people. Have you ever represented something big by taking a small portion of it?

Let’s face it, you probably do. We all do this at least once. But that doesn’t mean it’s right. To avoid this, there is nothing better than opening yourself up to different things.

Traveling, discovering other cultures, talking to people from different backgrounds and with differing opinions and interests can broaden your perspective enormously. By learning about other realities firsthand, you will adopt a more open and tolerant attitude.

Actively listen to others

One of the keys to being more tolerant is definitely to learn to listen to others. Many conversations these days are nothing more than power struggles to see who has the last word.

It is essential to be interested in what the other person has to say in order to have a real conversation with them. Don’t simply try to refute the arguments and impose your opinion as if it were the only valid one.

Active listening involves paying attention to what the other person is saying. Do not hesitate to analyze what is being said. Reflect and ask questions if necessary. This lets the person know that they are being listened to, which is important. If you don’t understand the point of view, that’s fine. Just let them know so he or she can explain the topic in an easier way.

This process won’t necessarily change your mind, but it will certainly allow you to understand and empathize with the other person’s motives.

Don’t be afraid to change your mind, because it’s one of the keys to being more tolerant

While it may not seem like it, sometimes intolerance reflects the fear of losing beliefs you’ve held for a long time. Changing your mind is not easy, as it involves recognizing that we have been wrong, which can be seen as a weakness or a failure.

However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Double-checking is wise, and there’s absolutely no shame in taking a different stance on facts you didn’t know before. This reflects maturity and helps you grow as an individual.

Being more tolerant doesn’t mean changing your essence

First of all, remember that being tolerant does not mean blindly agreeing with what someone else thinks. It means that you respect them no matter what your personal opinion is. Everyone has different preferences and interests.

Maybe you don’t have the same lifestyle as your boyfriend, maybe you don’t agree with your partner’s opinion on a certain topic, or you don’t understand why someone else made a certain decision.

However, intolerance will only cause suffering, anger and restlessness, as well as lead to interpersonal conflict. Respect, listening and a more flexible mindset will help you build harmonious relationships. It can even help you discover perspectives you hadn’t considered before.