why we celebrate instead of tolerate

tol·er·ate [tol-uh-reyt]

"to endure without repugnance; put up with"

"to experience, undergo, or sustain, as pain or hardship"

"to endure or resist the action of without serious discomfort"

"to allow to be or to be done without prohibition, hindrance, or contradiction"

Examples of TOLERATE

Our teacher will not tolerate bad grammar.

I can't tolerate that noise.

The government cannot tolerate lawlessness.

How can you tolerate such laziness?

These plants tolerate drought well.

I don't like my boss, but I tolerate him.

Those are a few quick examples of some online dictionary definitions of tolerate.

For me...

I tolerate the strong smell when passing by newly fertilized corn fields.

I tolerate the expressions on certain faces if I'm somewhere where I feel unwelcome.

I tolerate when people make rude comments.

I tolerate intrusive questions when made with ill-intent.

I tolerate the seemingly interminable wait times when on hold with certain large companies on the phone.

I tolerate when people make inaccurate assumptions about me.

Ask you can see or feel from reading the above. “Tolerate” doesn't have a very positive connotation. That's why at camp we prefer to set our goal higher—to “appreciate” difference, “cultivate” free thought, “celebrate” those who may not share similar surface characteristics.



Instead of “enduring with repugnance” or “tolerating” those who have a different look, we celebrate them.

Instead of “resisting with serious discomfort” or “experiencing pain or hardship” when presented with an alternate viewpoint, we appreciate the different perspective.

Words and how we use them make a difference. They shape our experience and help define our outlook. By “appreciating” and “celebrating” instead of tolerating, we can go a long way to empower everyone, not just those who look, talk, and think similarly. A world where difference is celebrated instead of tolerated is a world I'd like to see everywhere.