In other words, to be tolerant simply means that you respect the right of others to have ideas and practices that are different from your own. Even if these views are in direct conflict with your own, and you don't like them, you are still exhibiting tolerance if you agree to leave the other person alone and allow he/she to believe whatever they want to believe.

When people speak about being tolerant, they are often greeted with cynicism from others who misunderstand the concept. The most common misconception is that being tolerant means you condone the offensive practices of others, or that you love and encouraging disturbing behavior. This is not the case at all! Tolerance simply means that, while you may not like what others are doing, you respect their right to live in whatever manner they choose, as long as they don't forcibly interfere with your right to do the same. Being tolerant doesn't mean that you give your stamp of approval, it just means that you will not resort to force, to make others comply with your views.

Everyone is bothered by something. Some people, for example, have strong negative feelings toward the homosexual community. Other people have racial preferences and choose only to associate with certain people. Having these feelings is commonplace and it doesn't mean that a person is intolerant. Where a person crosses the line, however, is when they try to use force to make others change their ways. For instance, a person who doesn't like homosexuals, but only speaks of his/her disliking and doesn't take action, would still be considered tolerant. However, if the same person tries to get laws passed to ban homosexual practices, then that person has crossed the line and would then deserve to be labeled intolerant.

How Can This Help Teenagers?:

Learning the virtues of tolerance usually develops in the childhood years, beginning at a young age. It then solidifies in the teenage years. A parent needs to do what he/she can to encourage their young kids to respect differences among people.

Where most parents fail is when they insist that their own belief system is not merely an opinion, but rather a fact. This is where intolerance begins to take hold on the young person's conscious! When a young person is told, over and over again, that the personal opinions and beliefs of the parents are facts, rather than individual opinions, the groundwork for intolerant thinking has already been laid. The young person then approaches others who are different, with a critical and/or arrogant bias. They think to themselves: "Those poor people……if only they knew what they were doing". This way of thinking is unhealthy and it will lead to great confusion and anxiety on the part of the young person.

One area where intolerance is often the norm is with religious beliefs. I have seen this happen to people many times! They grew up in a household where the parents drilled their religious beliefs into the kids. The children were not allowed to show any signs of dissent because, according to the parents, there was only one correct way to think. Everyone else in the world, with different ideas, was completely wrong and doomed for believing the way they do, and in desperate need of help. This most definitely leads to intolerance because the young children are misled into thinking that an opinion is a fact, and that they should do whatever they can, including using the force of law, to "help" these unfortunate souls. Religious beliefs, no matter how strongly a person might feel about them, are not facts! They are personal opinions, and everyone's feelings are different. If religious beliefs were facts, there would be one world church and anyone who disagreed would be considered a renegade. Of course, there are hundreds of different religious groups around the world, with each one convinced that their beliefs are the most accurate. Some are respectful of the dissenting ideas of other religions, while others are not. It's important that parents take a careful approach in this area, and explain to their children that while they may feel very strongly about their beliefs, they are merely personal opinions. There are other people who feel just as strongly and should be respected.

Having tolerance for others is important to the healthy development of children. Teenagers already have enough stress and they don't need intolerant thinking to add to their large heap of problems.

Minorities of all types have a right to think and to express themselves in whatever way they choose. Their ideas are just as important as the majority. You don't have to agree with or condone everything they do. You just have to respect their differences and let them go their own way.

If people want to remain truly free, then they must be willing to show tolerance toward others. We have to accept differences of opinion and action in other people. If you try to take away the liberties of others, sooner or later, you will lose your own!

Links for school safety and violence prevention Links for Parents Protecting Children From Abuse Links for helping young people with emotional and behavioral problems Links For And About Teenagers Runaways Aggression:Teen Aggression Directly Related to Popularity. A.D.D: Dealing With Attention Disorders Broken Homes: Divorce And Successful Parenting, Effects Of Divorce Of Education, Effects Of Parental Fights On Teens, Separation and Divorce, Step parenting An Out Of Control Teen, Step parenting Successfully Cursing Or Mood Swings: Foul Language Of Teens Defiance And Anger: Adolescent Behavior Problem, Teen Anger Delinquency: Some Proposed Reasons For Teen Delinquency Depression: Dealing With Teen Depression, More About Teen Depression,Teen Depression Emotional Problems: Understanding Emotional Changes Failing In School: Parental Involvement In Teen Education Feelings Of Despair: Adolescent Anxiety Help For Teens: About Wilderness Camps, Behavior Modification, Convincing Teens To Get Help, Counseling For Your Teen, Helping Teens Hit The Target, Programs Give 2nd Chance To Youth, Solutions For Teens In Trouble, Therapy For Your Teen Lack Of Discipline: Adolescents and Decision Making, Chores Foster Responsibility, Discipline: Love and Limits, Punishment vs. Discipline,What Is Discipline Lack Of Motivation: How To Motivate Your Teen Lack Of Respect: Respect Concerning Different Subjects Lack Of Self-Control:Dating And Sexual Activity, High Risk Behavior, What The Bible Says On Self Control Minor Legal Problems: Teen Crime Prevention Negative Group Of Friends:Adolescence And Peer Pressure, Dealing With Teen Peer Pressure, Handling Teen Peer Groups Peer Pressure Oppositional Defiant Disorder:Oppositional Defiant Disorder Parenting Tips And General Help: 7 Steps For Coping With A Negative Child, 7 Tips For Parenting Teens,10 Secrets Teens Want You To Know, Hard Times For Girls, more... Rebellious Behavior And Violence: Teen Fashion, Piercings, and Tattoos, Teen Gang Prevention Refusing To Follow Rules:About Making Rules, About Parent-Teen Contracts, Effective Problemsolving With Teens, Negotiating Rules And Contracts, Setting Limits Running Away: Teen Runaway Prevention,Teen Runaways Substance Abuse Issues:Drug Use and Teens, Teen Drug Prevention, Teens And Smoking,Ways To Prevent Drug And Alcohol Use Suicidal Tendencies: Teen Suicide Prevention Teen In Crisis: Factors Of Troubled Teens,Helping Teens With Stress, Teens And Recent Tragic Events