Tolerance Destroys barriers and unites people

Tolerance and prejudices The vast majority of philosophers claims that tolerance is a very close sister of wisdom. The real true wisdom occurs very rarely: it is a gift from God. It is not enough to have a huge knowledge nor to be intelligent. It is not enough to understand either. The real wisdom is all this put together, plus a heart and the skill of understanding all matters in all aspects.

Tolerance and prejudices Tolerance requires a wise heart at first and the ability to understand and accept each others differences. It is sometimes difficult to reject prejudices which flow up from irrational intentions when one does not know the human conditions or does not understand the different views,culture, behaviour or customs. One must understand that every human being, as a matter of fact, is diverse. Tolerance unites the people who think and behave in a different way. As a result, this is recognised in social psychology, as a positive attitude. This makes social coexistence easier.

Xenophobia: a hostility against foreigners Xenophobia means fear of strangers.It is antipathy,hostility against strangers in a racial, religious or ethnic scope based on their culture. It is an expression of lack of tolerance and justification. It is an excuse for aggression.

Religious tolerance We meet people with different views very often…lets say in the scope of religion… Some people believe in God, others claim that HE is not present. So lets be tolerant towards people whose religious convictions are different… In every social group we can meet lack of tolerance: this is called intolerance against people who do not look like us. We often care about our own matters and do not notice people who have to cope with such problems…

Racism: a total conviction about the superiority of our race. Racism is a view pretending that race inequality is biologically inherited and that the human races can be put in a hierarchy.This view has many supporters all over the world. For many centuries this concept has been diversely understood. We can say that it has evoluated trying to prove these « truths » and supporting the rightness of racial inequality. Racism is often explained through geographical determinism and investigations on the human skull, which, as so -called pseudo scientists say,has a connection with intelligence and character features.

Anti-Semitism: hostility against the Jews expanded through a conspiracy theory

Discrimination It means treating someone worse than others in the same situation. One discriminates people for different reasons.e.g.: sex, race, age, material status, denomination or sexual orientation…

Nationalism Wrongly expressed national patriotism, traditions and nation culture. It is the conviction that our nation is superior than the other ones.

Prejudice reasons Authoritarian personality Unfulfilled needs Threat of crisis regarding important needs Transfer of aggression into so-called « scapegoat » Dehumanisation of relations between people Social groups: « Us » and « Them » culture

Stereotypes Schemes presenting a group or any kind of persons due to easily noticed features. Excessively simplified general immune. Discrimination- behaviour Prejudice- emotional attitude Referring to a group where identical characteristics are signed to all members regardless of the differences between them. Collection of opinions about a category of persons.

Tolerance and racism

Racism: the contemporary problem Nowadays we can encounter racism problems more often It is an ideology assuming prevalence of one race over onother one The ideology of « the upper race » still subsists; therefore its supporters strive for dominating « the lower races ». Most racism ideology comes from the differences between the peoples looks

Conclusions Lets teach each other tolerance: This is not difficult when we are eager. It will do only if we stick to the Commandment: « Do unto others as you would have others do unto you"

Conclusions Not doing the other persons any harm, helping the weak or the poor, no matter what denomination or race they are, we give evidence of our tolerance. By doing so, I think we will have the right to expect the others to be tolerant too. So lets start with ourselves! Demand tolerance and be tolerant.

Presentation made by Anna Bembenik Translation by Piotr Ocieczek

Tolerance destroys barriers and unites people