--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fact that Ferdinand and Isabella did…" description: "\"“The fact that Ferdinand and Isabella did not choose the path of tolerance is seen as an example of the intractability and inevitability of intolerance..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/maria-rosa-menocal-77744_intolerance_the-fact-that-ferdinand-and-isabella-did_2865439.jpg" --- # The fact that Ferdinand and Isabella did not choose the… ![“The fact that Ferdinand and Isabella did not choose the path of tolerance is seen as an example of the intractability and inevitability of intolerance, especially in the premodern era. But their actions may be far better understood as the failure to make the more difficult decision, to have the…” quote by Maria Rosa Menocal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/maria-rosa-menocal-77744_intolerance_the-fact-that-ferdinand-and-isabella-did_2865439.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/maria-rosa-menocal-77744_intolerance_the-fact-that-ferdinand-and-isabella-did_2865439.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/maria-rosa-menocal-77744_intolerance_the-fact-that-ferdinand-and-isabella-did_2865439.jpg) > ““The fact that Ferdinand and Isabella did not choose the path of tolerance is seen as an example of the intractability and inevitability of intolerance, especially in the premodern era. But their actions may be far better understood as the failure to make the more difficult decision, to have the courage to cultivate a society that can live with its own flagrant contradictions. They chose instead to go down the modern path, the one defined by an ethic of unity and harmony, and which is largely intolerant of contradiction.”” Maria Rosa Menocal ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intolerance persists because societies avoid confronting their own contradictions, choosing uniformity over difficult, inclusive choices. **In simple terms:** People often pick easy unity over confronting contradictions. Key Takeaway Embrace difficult choices to build inclusive societies. Themes intolerance unity contradiction history politics Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical historical When to use this quote - political decision making - education reform - community building - conflict resolution Key Concepts social cohesion ethical courage historical analysis Questions to Reflect On - How can societies foster courage to accept contradictions? - What are the risks of suppressing dissent? A Different Perspective Choosing uniformity can suppress necessary dissent and critical thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Difficult Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-decision/) [Intolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerance/) ## Related quotes > [A divine revelation must necessarily be intolerant of contradiction; it must repudiate all improvement in itself, and view with disdain that arising from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/a-divine-revelation-must-necessarily-be-intolerant-of-contradiction/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [When that book came out, it was like Columbus telling about America at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-white/when-that-book-came-out-it-was-like-columbus-telling-about-america-at/) [Theodore White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-white/) > [“The dusty facts are that; Ferdinand II, the Regent of Castile, was 63 years old when he died on January 23, 1516; his wife…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-the-exciting-story-of-cuba-2/the-dusty-facts-are-that-ferdinand-ii-the-regent-of-castile-was-63/) Captain Hank Bracker, "The Exciting Story of Cuba > [I made the difficult decision to retire because a campaign of bullying, intimidation and retaliation by President Trump and his allies forever limited the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-vindman/i-made-the-difficult-decision-to-retire-because-a-campaign-of/) [Alexander Vindman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-vindman/) > [My mother had to make an unconventional decision. We had to run away from home. She made a really difficult decision to leave financial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vidya-vox/my-mother-had-to-make-an-unconventional-decision-we-had-to-run-away/) [Vidya Vox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vidya-vox/) > [One of the most difficult decision in life when one face adversity is to walk away or to try more harder.But before making final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/one-of-the-most-difficult-decision-in-life-when-one-face-adversity-is/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [“This brings us to the third villain of decision making: short-term emotion. When we’ve got a difficult decision to make, our feelings churn. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/this-brings-us-to-the-third-villain-of-decision-making-short-term/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [When do you know it's time to say, 'OK, that's it?' That is the most difficult part of any decision like that because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-thome/when-do-you-know-it-s-time-to-say-ok-that-s-it-that-is-the-most/) [Jim Thome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-thome/) > [I am very lucky to have a wife who supports me, but the absence from my children was difficult from the moment I took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manuel-pellegrini/i-am-very-lucky-to-have-a-wife-who-supports-me-but-the-absence-from/) [Manuel Pellegrini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manuel-pellegrini/) > [It was never a difficult decision to join Wolves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-jimenez/it-was-never-a-difficult-decision-to-join-wolves/) [Raul Jimenez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-jimenez/) > [“dramatically, but helium gas was 10 times as expensive. Under these conditions, Dr. Eckener, a pilot whose primary concern was safety and as Director…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-provan/dramatically-but-helium-gas-was-10-times-as-expensive-under-these/) [John Provan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-provan/) > [When I have a difficult decision to make, I imagine myself as a 90-year-old guy looking back on his life. I imagine what I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-woodman/when-i-have-a-difficult-decision-to-make-i-imagine-myself-as-a-90/) [Nick Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-woodman/) > [I like to tell stories about people trying to make the right, difficult decision at the least opportune moment... People in a crucible of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanton/i-like-to-tell-stories-about-people-trying-to-make-the-right/) [Doug Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanton/) > [What's called a difficult decision is a difficult decision because either way you go there are penalties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elia-kazan/what-s-called-a-difficult-decision-is-a-difficult-decision-because/) [Elia Kazan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elia-kazan/) > [“Be patient and wait for God to direct your path. God loves you. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-marshall/be-patient-and-wait-for-god-to-direct-your-path-god-loves-you-he-has/) Lydia Marshall ## More by Maria Rosa Menocal > [“Does poetry - or language or philosophy or music or architecture, even that of our temples - really need to dance to the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-rosa-menocal/does-poetry-or-language-or-philosophy-or-music-or-architecture-even/) Maria Rosa Menocal > [“In principle, all Islamic polities were (and are) required by Quranic injunction not to harm the dhimmi, to tolerate the Christians and Jews living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-rosa-menocal/in-principle-all-islamic-polities-were-and-are-required-by-quranic/) Maria Rosa Menocal Explore all 3 Maria Rosa Menocal quotes ## More Intolerance quotes > [Dialogue and education for peace can help free our hearts from the impulse toward intolerance and the rejection of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/dialogue-and-education-for-peace-can-help-free-our-hearts-from-the/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [the Republicans love to say that the Democratic Party is ruled by 'special interests.' But when pressed to name these 'special interests,' the usual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-ferraro/the-republicans-love-to-say-that-the-democratic-party-is-ruled-by/) [Geraldine Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-ferraro/) > [I have tried to defend what is most precious to our American society, a society that is now at war against the forces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demian-bichir/i-have-tried-to-defend-what-is-most-precious-to-our-american-society/) [Demian Bichir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demian-bichir/) > [Peace cannot be built on exclusivism, absolutism, and intolerance. But neither can it be built on vague liberal slogans and pious programs gestated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/peace-cannot-be-built-on-exclusivism-absolutism-and-intolerance-but/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Too small is our world to allow discrimination, bigotry and intolerance to thrive in any corner of it, let alone in the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-engel/too-small-is-our-world-to-allow-discrimination-bigotry-and/) [Eliot Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-engel/) > [House music is about love, and lots of hip hop is about hate and intolerance, so in that respect, it's not good at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lowe/house-music-is-about-love-and-lots-of-hip-hop-is-about-hate-and/) [Chris Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lowe/) > [“Intolerance is a failed master of non-existent reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/intolerance-is-a-failed-master-of-non-existent-reason/) sir kristian goldmund aumann > [Pat Buchanan... was fired by MSNBC for doing nothing more than voicing his rock-solid conservative thoughts on the otherwise failing network... The real message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/pat-buchanan-was-fired-by-msnbc-for-doing-nothing-more-than-voicing/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [I believe in a wall between church and state so high that no one can climb over it. When religion controls government, political liberty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/i-believe-in-a-wall-between-church-and-state-so-high-that-no-one-can/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [Profiling any segment of society and viewing them as a threat is a sign of intolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fethullah-gulen/profiling-any-segment-of-society-and-viewing-them-as-a-threat-is-a/) [Fethullah Gulen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fethullah-gulen/) > [I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you. I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-terry/i-want-you-to-just-let-a-wave-of-intolerance-wash-over-you-i-want-you/) [Randall Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-terry/) > [“When you are alone in the wilderness, opinions or beliefs of any kind are dropped as the absurd accoutrements they are. But after being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/when-you-are-alone-in-the-wilderness-opinions-or-beliefs-of-any-kind/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [Intolerance has always been one of the cornerstones of Christianity - the glorious heritage of the Inquisition. It's no coincidence that most of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/intolerance-has-always-been-one-of-the-cornerstones-of-christianity/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [Hatred, intolerance, poor hygienic conditions and violence all have roots in illiteracy, so we're trying to do something to help the poor and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-qadeer-khan/hatred-intolerance-poor-hygienic-conditions-and-violence-all-have/) [Abdul Qadeer Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-qadeer-khan/) [Browse all 572 Intolerance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The fact that Ferdinand and Isabella did not choose the path of tolerance is seen as an example of the intractability and inevitability of intolerance, especially in the premodern era. But their actions may be far better understood as the failure to make the more difficult decision, to have the courage to cultivate a society that can live with its own flagrant contradictions. They chose instead to go down the modern path, the one defined by an ethic of unity and harmony, and which is largely intolerant of contradiction.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maria Rosa Menocal" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-rosa-menocal/the-fact-that-ferdinand-and-isabella-did-not-choose-the-path-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Intolerance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-rosa-menocal/the-fact-that-ferdinand-and-isabella-did-not-choose-the-path-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/maria-rosa-menocal-77744_intolerance_the-fact-that-ferdinand-and-isabella-did_2865439.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/maria-rosa-menocal-77744_intolerance_the-fact-that-ferdinand-and-isabella-did_2865439.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/maria-rosa-menocal-77744_intolerance_the-fact-that-ferdinand-and-isabella-did_2865439.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The fact that Ferdinand and Isabella did not choose the path of tolerance is seen as an example of the…” — Maria Rosa Menocal", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Maria Rosa Menocal", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-rosa-menocal/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The fact that Ferdinand and Isabella...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-rosa-menocal/the-fact-that-ferdinand-and-isabella-did-not-choose-the-path-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-rosa-menocal/the-fact-that-ferdinand-and-isabella-did-not-choose-the-path-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```