Contemporary society Quote by Slavoj Žižek
““Liberal attitudes towards the other are characterized both by respect for otherness, openness to it, and an obsessive fear of harassment. In short, the other is welcomed insofar as its presence is not intrusive, insofar as it is not really the other. Tolerance thus coincides with its opposite. My duty to be tolerant towards the other effectively means that I should not get too close to him or her, not intrude into his space—in short, that I should respect his intolerance towards my over-proximity. This is increasingly emerging as the central human right of advanced capitalist society: the right not to be ‘harassed’, that is, to be kept at a safe distance from others.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Parallax View, Slavoj Žižek, 2006
Tolerance is framed as a protective distance, turning respect into avoidance and equating safety with non‑intrusion.
In simple terms: Being tolerant means keeping a safe distance from others.
Key Takeaway
Recognize when tolerance becomes avoidance.
Themes
tolerance
social distance
political correctness
capitalism
human rights
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- workplace interactions
- online discourse
- public policy
- community building
Key Concepts
alienation
power dynamics
identity politics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does distance affect genuine understanding?
- When does tolerance become exclusion?
A Different Perspective
It can suppress genuine engagement and solidarity.
