Meandering Musings: Tolerance vs. Acceptance

(quick note: I wanted to use a "VS!" image, but in the couple minutes I spend looking for one on pixabay I didn't find any, so I just used this image instead.)

I've seen a lot of people talk about “tolerance” and “inclusion”. It’s actually a shame that it seems to be considered a left wing thing nowadays, as the concepts are antithetical to any political partisanship. I think at least part of that perception is a misunderstanding between two different concepts.

Tolerance is many times treated as a synonym of Acceptance. I consider these two things very much different, though still related. Here is why.

Tolerance is specifically referring to something one doesn’t like or agree with. There is no need to tell someone to be tolerant of something they like; that is something they do without thinking. Of course we want things we like to exist, propagate, and succeed. We can only tolerate something in any real sense if we actually don’t wish for it to exist. It’s best represented in the famous saying about free speech by Evelyn Beatrice Hall: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

Acceptance is almost the antonym to tolerance, as opposed to its synonym. Acceptance can be applied to something you don’t like, but is less often done so for a reason I will explain. Acceptance is not just saying something should exist, but saying it has value. It is saying, in some measure and fashion, that the content itself is acceptable.

To tolerate something is to disagree with it, but say that it should still be legal. Accepting something is to agree with it on some level, even if not completely. I believe the dictionary agrees with me on this, but even if it didn’t, I prefer to maintain this distinction as it is useful. Just because literally has become a synonym for figuratively doesn’t mean I will use it that way, as such usage cheapens both concepts the words represent. Once we confuse and muddle terms, it becomes harder to actually have thoughtful dialogue.

So there it is. My understanding of the difference between acceptance and tolerance.