In our days, the word, tolerance, has become a highly popular word together with such terms as pluralism and democracy. These words are by now so often used that one would hope that most people have a proper understanding of their meanings. This is, however, far from true. In fact, it seems that the more these words appear in our papers, books or in conversations, the less they seem to be comprehended. Often they are used in ways which oppose the very values they stand for.
People seem to be proud when they are able to claim how tolerant they are.
This means that they see themselves as very broad-minded people who really have little objection to any thoughts or views of others and that all attitudes and outlooks on life should be permitted in a free society. Such views are then linked with values such as pluralism and democracy. The shallowness of such attitudes is, however, most clear. Would society indeed be prepared to be tolerant on all fronts it would turn into hell and become self-destructive. It needs little effort to explain that we will not be able to be tolerant towards Antisemitism, racism, public nudity, crime or sexual harassment of women and children.