--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In recent decades we have emphasized the…" description: "\"“In recent decades we have emphasized the value of teaching people 'tolerance.' Tolerance is not only inadequate, it is a negative concept which only a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/arun-gandhi-31537_acceptance_in-recent-decades-we-have-emphasized-the_1829031.jpg" --- # In recent decades we have emphasized the value of teaching… ![“In recent decades we have emphasized the value of teaching people 'tolerance.' Tolerance is not only inadequate, it is a negative concept which only alienates society further. Learning to tolerate absolves people of the responsibility of learning to understand different people, accept and…” quote by Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/arun-gandhi-31537_acceptance_in-recent-decades-we-have-emphasized-the_1829031.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/arun-gandhi-31537_acceptance_in-recent-decades-we-have-emphasized-the_1829031.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/arun-gandhi-31537_acceptance_in-recent-decades-we-have-emphasized-the_1829031.jpg) > ““In recent decades we have emphasized the value of teaching people 'tolerance.' Tolerance is not only inadequate, it is a negative concept which only alienates society further. Learning to tolerate absolves people of the responsibility of learning to understand different people, accept and appreciate their differences, and progress towards respecting them for who and what they are. It is only when we build acceptance between people that we will rid ourselves of the scourge of prejudice and liberate ourselves from violence.”” [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that tolerance is insufficient and can distance people, advocating for deeper acceptance and understanding to combat prejudice and violence. **In simple terms:** Tolerance alone isn’t enough; we need true acceptance. Key Takeaway Foster genuine understanding and acceptance. Themes tolerance acceptance prejudice violence social harmony Mood reflective determined hopeful Type ethical inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - education reform - community dialogues - diversity training - conflict resolution - policy making Key Concepts empathy social cohesion ethical responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can we move from mere tolerance to active acceptance? - What actions promote genuine understanding? A Different Perspective Tolerance may be a starting point but can become complacent without active effort to understand. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Acceptance People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance-people-902043/) [Different people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-people/) [People Tolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-tolerance-769903/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Tolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerance/) [Tolerance Inadequate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerance-inadequate-2259218/) [Tolerance Tolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerance-tolerance-2259219/) [Tolerate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerate/) ## Related quotes > [America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance — it is not. It is suffering from tolerance. Tolerance of right and wrong, truth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/america-it-is-said-is-suffering-from-intolerance-it-is-not-it-is/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [At a time when everybody in our culture is talking about tolerance, it seems that tolerance has the highest premium of any response -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-webb/at-a-time-when-everybody-in-our-culture-is-talking-about-tolerance-it/) [Derek Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-webb/) > [Tolerance can be exercised only by those who have well-grounded convictions (although it will not always be exercised even by them). For such people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-von-kuehnelt-leddihn/tolerance-can-be-exercised-only-by-those-who-have-well-grounded/) [Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-von-kuehnelt-leddihn/) > [Globalisation is happening so fast it's confusing for people, and tolerance is threatened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-pullman/globalisation-is-happening-so-fast-it-s-confusing-for-people-and/) [Bill Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-pullman/) > [“People often trip on other people's tolerance threshold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ljupka-cvetanova/people-often-trip-on-other-people-s-tolerance-threshold/) [Ljupka Cvetanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ljupka-cvetanova/) > [People had no tolerance for your particular hardship unless you knew how to entertain them with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/people-had-no-tolerance-for-your-particular-hardship-unless-you-knew/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [People have no tolerance. They think all bugs are bad. It's the American way. If you don't like something, kill it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-have-no-tolerance-they-think-all-bugs-are-bad-it-s-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is too much acceptance of people saying, 'I am a math person, or I am an artsy person.' It makes me cringe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sal-khan/there-is-too-much-acceptance-of-people-saying-i-am-a-math-person-or-i/) [Sal Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sal-khan/) > [I've gotten death threats, yes. I have. I think anytime you shine a spotlight on homosexuality or minorities and you try and say they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-murphy/i-ve-gotten-death-threats-yes-i-have-i-think-anytime-you-shine-a/) [Ryan Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-murphy/) > [I was concerned about the viewers' acceptance. But people have found a comic slant in me, which I was never aware of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alok-nath/i-was-concerned-about-the-viewers-acceptance-but-people-have-found-a/) [Alok Nath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alok-nath/) > [Sometimes, people only change what they look like for the acceptance of other people, and that's where you start going wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamman-rucker/sometimes-people-only-change-what-they-look-like-for-the-acceptance/) [Lamman Rucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamman-rucker/) > [I would love to do more modeling. I would love to do anything really, mainstream, and help to create, I guess, a feeling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-carrera/i-would-love-to-do-more-modeling-i-would-love-to-do-anything-really/) [Carmen Carrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-carrera/) > [I feel like decades ago it was either youre black, white, Asian or Hispanic, or whatever, but today we see more of an acceptance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-ilonzeh/i-feel-like-decades-ago-it-was-either-youre-black-white-asian-or/) [Annie Ilonzeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-ilonzeh/) > [A wholesome family is one where there is a lot of love. It's living by example. It's acceptance of people at their core, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-oz/a-wholesome-family-is-one-where-there-is-a-lot-of-love-it-s-living-by/) [Daphne Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-oz/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Arun Gandhi > [“When people are forced to respect civil rights and human rights or face legal consequences, they don't like it. Civil rights laws will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/when-people-are-forced-to-respect-civil-rights-and-human-rights-or/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“Since our understanding of Truth itself does not remain constant, one who is determined to pursue it diligently must constantly test and reexamine his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/since-our-understanding-of-truth-itself-does-not-remain-constant-one/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“Use your anger for good. Anger to people is like gas to the automobile - it fuels you to move forward and get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/use-your-anger-for-good-anger-to-people-is-like-gas-to-the-automobile/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“Religions are different roads converging upon the same point. What does it matter that we take different roads so long as we reach the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/religions-are-different-roads-converging-upon-the-same-point-what/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“Nonviolence is not just a state of being where violence is absent or invisible. It is a conscious, active effort not to harm anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/nonviolence-is-not-just-a-state-of-being-where-violence-is-absent-or/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“The trouble between Hindus and Muslims, which has continued to this day, is not generated by the people's inability to get along, but by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/the-trouble-between-hindus-and-muslims-which-has-continued-to-this/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“This world is what we have made of it. If it is ruthless today it is because we have made it ruthless by our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/this-world-is-what-we-have-made-of-it-if-it-is-ruthless-today-it-is/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“When we over consume the Earth's resources, we create an economic imbalance in societies and in the world. Affluent people and affluent societies can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/when-we-over-consume-the-earth-s-resources-we-create-an-economic/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“Anger is good... Anger, you see, is to people what fuel is to an automobile. Without it, we would not be motivated to rise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/anger-is-good-anger-you-see-is-to-people-what-fuel-is-to-an/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“Every time you feel great anger, stop and write down who or what caused your feelings and why you reacted so angrily. The goal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/every-time-you-feel-great-anger-stop-and-write-down-who-or-what/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“Not only is this teacher educating her children in violence, she also has to continuously escalate her own violence to keep control. Her method…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/not-only-is-this-teacher-educating-her-children-in-violence-she-also/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“For generations, the Gandhi family has been more spiritual than religious. This may seem to be a contradiction, but it is not. The Gandhis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/for-generations-the-gandhi-family-has-been-more-spiritual-than/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“Respect and humility go together. Humility is not meekness, but the opposite of arrogance. A wise old Indian man once said, "Empty drums make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/respect-and-humility-go-together-humility-is-not-meekness-but-the/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“The basis of Gandhi's nonviolence is to appeal to the good in others and evoke sympathy to one's cause through self-suffering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/the-basis-of-gandhi-s-nonviolence-is-to-appeal-to-the-good-in-others/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) > [“A man of few words will rarely be thoughtless in his speech- he will measure every word.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-gandhi/a-man-of-few-words-will-rarely-be-thoughtless-in-his-speech-he-will/) [Arun Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) [Explore all 16 Arun Gandhi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-gandhi/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In recent decades we have emphasized the value of teaching people 'tolerance.' Tolerance is not only inadequate, it is a negative concept which only alienates society further. 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