Tolerance, acceptance, and understanding
1 What are the differences between tolerance, acceptance, and understanding?
2 Referring to Implicit Bias Training, how are these three concepts related?
3 How does an understanding of tolerance, acceptance, understanding, and implicit bias increase equity and empathy in our schools and reduce implicit bias for all students? Please refer to this article entitled The Role Social-Emotional Learning Plays in Teaching White Children About Race in your response.
Sample Solution
Tolerance, acceptance, and understanding are three concepts often used in reference to how different people or groups interact with one another. While they may sound similar on the surface, each of them has its own unique meaning which sets it apart from the others.
Tolerance is defined as “the ability or willingness to tolerate something, especially opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with” (Oxford English Dictionary). In other words, it means being able to accept that someone else’s views may be different from your own without feeling a need to argue against them or try and change their mind. This is an important skill for living peacefully in a diverse society but it should not be confused with acceptance.
Acceptance is defined as “the action of consenting to receive or undertake something offered” (Oxford English Dictionary). In this sense , it involves actively acknowledging that someone else’s views are valid and perhaps even embracing them as part of your own set of beliefs . This can involve anything from religious values to political ideologies so long as both parties involved come away satisfied with the outcome .
Finally , understanding is defined as “the capacity for rational thought; intelligence” (Oxford English Dictionary). Here , it refers specifically to having knowledge about why someone believes what they do and being able to appreciate the reasons for their viewpoint without necessarily agreeing with the conclusion itself . It requires empathy along with open minded curiosity towards alternative perspectives which can lead greater appreciation of differences between individuals.
In summary , tolerance implies merely tolerating existence of opposing viewpoints while acceptance entails engaging those ideas in order gain further insight into world around us. Finally , understanding goes beyond simply listening by seeking out wisdom through exploring new ideas before ultimately forming our own opinions based upon all available evidence. Together these principles form foundation any successful interaction between two different points view whether online offline settings ensuring everyone gets heard while treating each other respect due.
