On Intolerance

Intolerance is basically refusing to accept differences—whether it’s someone’s beliefs, lifestyle, or way of thinking. It’s more than just disagreeing. It’s saying, I don’t want that around me. Instead of trying to understand, it often jumps straight to judgment.

Sometimes intolerance can feel safe. It can make you feel like you know exactly where you stand and who’s “on your side.” But the cost is high. It can cut off relationships, make communities tense, and turn diversity into something to fear instead of learn from.

It can start young. If as a kid you don’t get much exposure to people who are different—or you only hear about them in a negative way—it’s easy for that to stick. Without someone teaching you how to stay open, those early ideas can harden.

Teen years can make it worse. Peer groups can reward shutting others out or making quick judgments. Those habits can carry into adulthood, where people might avoid anything that challenges how they see the world.

By middle age, years of doing things a certain way can make change feel threatening. Later in life, some people soften and open up, but others double down. Negative experiences with people who are different can make those walls even higher.

Intolerance feeds on echo chambers—places where no one challenges your views and disagreement feels like an attack. The more you stay in that loop, the harder it is to see the bigger picture, and the harder it gets to work together or even talk without conflict.