Tolerating Intolerance

Let me share with you two very striking news stories I read lately.

The first one is concerning Road Rage. Road Rage is a well defined word, and wikipedia defines it as violent behavior by a driver of an automobile. As traffic situation worsens, we see more and more of these cases around us.

I also read about the increasing number of divorces in the new age India, specially among the young couples. Divorces are now more likely to happen in the first two years of marriage, and on much softer issues than ever before.

Both these phenomenons indicate towards a critical pattern in our society - Our lessening tolerance levels.

Are tolerance levels in our society going down? Are we, as a collective people, becoming more and more prone to short temperedness and explosive outbursts? I bet we are.

The examples are aplenty. All around me, I see working mothers on the edge of their patience, celebrities losing their temper at a whim, and world meets failing. The important question here is - Why?

I have often heard an old age adage - " To err is human , to forgive divine". It seems that we have forgotten forgiveness. Why?

I believe the reason lies in the fast track lifestyle changes we have made in the last century. The human race has seen more development in last 100 years than in thousands of years put together. This puts enormous pressure on us to catch up. More than that it affects our quality of life. Life probably seems easier today- what with all household appliances, faster means of transport and instant communications. But that is just an optical illusion. Life has become faster, and we are losing the sense of time. We forget that life is not a race, but a stroll, a walk through the years. It is definitely not a competition. The demands and schedules are so tight, it leaves no place for peace and patience. When parents have no time for their children, no gadget can replace the emptiness a child feels. No VCD can take place of a bedtime story in soothing mother's voice. Spending time leisurely is a basic human need, And as this need is not realized, the tempers rise, the tolerance falls.

I also want to bring to your attention a very different point here. Intolerance is not always wrong. Indeed, in many case

Intolerance breeds Development. India has been an extremely tolerant society historically, and in many ways, it is because of htis tolerance, that we have lagged behind the rest of the world in development. External powers have used our tolerance as our weakness. Take an example- You are sitting in a reserved coach of a train, and a man comes in without reservation. He smiles at you, and requests a place to sit. "Adjust, sir!"

He'll say, and we tolerate this rule-breaking as another part of life. May be we'll even feel proud of ourselves, helping a fellow citizen in his hour of need. MAy be we'll resolve to use this tactic next time ourselves. Intolerance, here, would have been definitely a better option.

This ofcourse, does not vaidates the aggresive nature of some. I daresay that a little love and patience would do our world much more good than humdred inventions put together.

It is a very sad realization, that out society is losing the very tolerance that has sustained it through the turbulent centuries. We need to ensure that we do not become part of this vicious circle. Just like anger, love and peace spreads too. Our tranquility will infuse tranquility in people around us.