--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What's important is the tolerance. If…" description: "\"What's important is the tolerance. If people are not beating other people up, or shooting them for being different, then that's progress. Even if the i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/nell-zink-26443_being-different_what-s-important-is-the-tolerance-if-peo_1688561.jpg" --- # What's important is the tolerance. If people are not… ![“What's important is the tolerance. If people are not beating other people up, or shooting them for being different, then that's progress. Even if the ideas that go through their head are fodder for novelists.” quote by Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/nell-zink-26443_being-different_what-s-important-is-the-tolerance-if-peo_1688561.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/nell-zink-26443_being-different_what-s-important-is-the-tolerance-if-peo_1688561.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/nell-zink-26443_being-different_what-s-important-is-the-tolerance-if-peo_1688561.jpg) > “What's important is the tolerance. If people are not beating other people up, or shooting them for being different, then that's progress. Even if the ideas that go through their head are fodder for novelists.” [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True progress means allowing diverse ideas without violence, even if those ideas seem absurd or fictional. **In simple terms:** Progress is tolerating different ideas without harming others. Key Takeaway Promote tolerance, avoid violence. Themes tolerance progress diversity nonviolence Mood reflective optimistic Type philosophical social When to use this quote - political debate - online forums - community meetings - educational settings Key Concepts social harmony free speech ethical tolerance Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance free expression with preventing harm? - What limits, be set on tolerating harmful ideas? A Different Perspective Tolerance may be challenged by extremist views that resist acceptance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-different/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Novelists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelists/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Tolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerance/) ## Related quotes > [ What we always want to say \[in X-men\] is, "It's OK to be yourself, and actually it's a gift to be yourself. Whatever it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/what-we-always-want-to-say-in-x-men-is-it-s-ok-to-be-yourself-and/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [“In our social world we have only a thin layer of topsoil-tolerance-for people and cultures that are different from our own. When times get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-holthaus/in-our-social-world-we-have-only-a-thin-layer-of-topsoil-tolerance/) Gary Holthaus > [I just don't have a tolerance for people being fake, I don't think. Maybe especially when I think they have bad intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrie-sellers/i-just-don-t-have-a-tolerance-for-people-being-fake-i-don-t-think/) [Aubrie Sellers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrie-sellers/) > [“If a country is governed with tolerance, the people are comfortable and honest. If a country is governed with repression, the people are depressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/if-a-country-is-governed-with-tolerance-the-people-are-comfortable-2/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [We all have our levels of risk tolerance. People who have decided they want to go to space are going to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cantrell/we-all-have-our-levels-of-risk-tolerance-people-who-have-decided-they/) [Jim Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cantrell/) > [There's a way in which all of these grazers at the spirituality buffet are performing a service, because you could argue that grazing leads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/there-s-a-way-in-which-all-of-these-grazers-at-the-spirituality/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [“The Midland Midwest would develop as a center of moderation and tolerance, where people of many faiths and ethnicities lived side by side, largely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-woodard/the-midland-midwest-would-develop-as-a-center-of-moderation-and/) [Colin Woodard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-woodard/) > [Just open your heart man and accept that people are gay. Thousands, probably millions of people are gay. And until we find a cure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arj-barker/just-open-your-heart-man-and-accept-that-people-are-gay-thousands/) [Arj Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arj-barker/) > [“Please show tolerance with people. you see if there were no idiots in the world , How would you know you were sane?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gale/please-show-tolerance-with-people-you-see-if-there-were-no-idiots-in/) Dave Gale > [There's not a lot of tolerance for people like me... To avoid ignorance and bullying, I've had to hide the fact that I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-cryer/there-s-not-a-lot-of-tolerance-for-people-like-me-to-avoid-ignorance/) [Jon Cryer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-cryer/) > [“A wise man has tolerance for such people. A wise man walks away or finds a means of changing the way they think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/a-wise-man-has-tolerance-for-such-people-a-wise-man-walks-away-or/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [I have a low tolerance for people who complain about things but never do anything to change them. This led me to conclude that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gallop/i-have-a-low-tolerance-for-people-who-complain-about-things-but-never/) [Cindy Gallop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gallop/) > [I have a really low tolerance for people who underestimate me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-a-really-low-tolerance-for-people-who-underestimate-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If a country is governed with tolerance, the people are comfortable and honest. If a country is governed with repression, the people are depressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/if-a-country-is-governed-with-tolerance-the-people-are-comfortable/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [I think in terms of being a New Yorker, as my friends would say, I don't take a lot of mess. I have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/i-think-in-terms-of-being-a-new-yorker-as-my-friends-would-say-i-don/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) ## More by Nell Zink > [“They should build a monument,” Cary said. “All the times I got my ass beat to a pulp so the youth of today could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/they-should-build-a-monument-cary-said-all-the-times-i-got-my-ass/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [“I saw that I had followed the chief guiding principle of the petty bourgeoisie in modernity and made a virtue of necessity in telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/i-saw-that-i-had-followed-the-chief-guiding-principle-of-the-petty/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [The interesting artists I know are the ones doing political work. The most interesting people I know are the people who care about politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/the-interesting-artists-i-know-are-the-ones-doing-political-work-the/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [I never take pictures. Skies are much larger in reminiscences and my friends are much better-looking. Photos crop reality into little squares; instead, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/i-never-take-pictures-skies-are-much-larger-in-reminiscences-and-my/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [People wanted to get me published, and my early work was so weird that they weren't getting anywhere. I thought, okay, I'll do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/people-wanted-to-get-me-published-and-my-early-work-was-so-weird-that/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [I'm enough of an anarchist aesthetically, when it comes to art - I want people to be reading my stuff voluntarily. They should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/i-m-enough-of-an-anarchist-aesthetically-when-it-comes-to-art-i-want/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [I'd say it's never a challenge to present white and heteronormative privilege. The hard thing is to write any other way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/i-d-say-it-s-never-a-challenge-to-present-white-and-heteronormative/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [I really like writing in English, and it's the best job I've ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/i-really-like-writing-in-english-and-it-s-the-best-job-i-ve-ever-had/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [“Why shouldn’t loving puppets be a revolutionary act, in a world where so many people love drone warfare?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/why-shouldn-t-loving-puppets-be-a-revolutionary-act-in-a-world-where/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [I have known many people who were seduced as children by same-sex partners and then spent their teen years being gay, and then found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/i-have-known-many-people-who-were-seduced-as-children-by-same-sex/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [Human beings are just way more complex than they'd like to be. They like to be simple machines. And they'll set up fantasy scenarios…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/human-beings-are-just-way-more-complex-than-they-d-like-to-be-they/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [In the rural South, the only interesting people were the sexual deviants. Everybody else was able to be part of the mainstream, and could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/in-the-rural-south-the-only-interesting-people-were-the-sexual/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [“I mean No South. You can’t have ‘New’ and ‘South.’ It’s oxymoronic. I’m talking about the No South. The unstoppable force that’s putting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/i-mean-no-south-you-can-t-have-new-and-south-it-s-oxymoronic-i-m/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [“For jobs and men, it’s a seller’s market. There are no other fish in the sea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/for-jobs-and-men-it-s-a-seller-s-market-there-are-no-other-fish-in/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [There are terrible things that never get easier, and there are things even more terrible that get easier with time and repetition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/there-are-terrible-things-that-never-get-easier-and-there-are-things/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) [Explore all 21 Nell Zink quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) ## More Being different quotes > [You are no mistake. What makes you different is what makes you special, unique, original. You are a MASTERPIECE, a PIECE of the MASTER!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-w-griffin/you-are-no-mistake-what-makes-you-different-is-what-makes-you-special/) [Kenneth W Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-w-griffin/) > [Just because someone is different from yourself does not mean you should treat them badly. What you don't understand is not to be taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-bognar/just-because-someone-is-different-from-yourself-does-not-mean-you/) [Jenna Bognar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-bognar/) > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [You're trying too HARD to convince me that you're a TRUE friend & DEEP Down Inside you know you're not but you stick around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nisha-marie/you-re-trying-too-hard-to-convince-me-that-you-re-a-true-friend-deep/) [Ta'Nisha Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nisha-marie/) > [I suppose what I look for most in a part, other than it being different than the part before, is: Does he interest me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-fox/i-suppose-what-i-look-for-most-in-a-part-other-than-it-being/) [Freddie Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-fox/) > [Give yourself a chance to live because nobody will live it for you when you die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-yourself-a-chance-to-live-because-nobody-will-live-it-for-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [You all laugh because I am different. I laugh because you are all the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-all-laugh-because-i-am-different-i-laugh-because-you-are-all-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we are lucky enough to have something that makes us different from everybody else, dont change. Uniqueness is priceless. In this crazy world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-are-lucky-enough-to-have-something-that-makes-us-different-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've always liked the idea of being different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo/i-ve-always-liked-the-idea-of-being-different/) MO > [Don't be afraid to be different. Make your differences into advantages. It can and will work for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-be-afraid-to-be-different-make-your-differences-into-advantages/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tomorrow can be better or worse but will never be same as today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash-sweeney/tomorrow-can-be-better-or-worse-but-will-never-be-same-as-today/) [Ash Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash-sweeney/) > [It takes a real man to love you differently from the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lita/it-takes-a-real-man-to-love-you-differently-from-the-rest/) [Lita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lita/) > [Sometimes being different is not going to be the most popular thing. But you have to be confident in you and what you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delisha-milton-jones/sometimes-being-different-is-not-going-to-be-the-most-popular-thing/) [DeLisha Milton-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delisha-milton-jones/) > [We must each learn to feel comfortable in our own uniqueness by rising above the fear of being wrong and the aversion to being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/we-must-each-learn-to-feel-comfortable-in-our-own-uniqueness-by/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) [Browse all 607 Being different quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-different/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What's important is the tolerance. If people are not beating other people up, or shooting them for being different, then that's progress. 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