Evening star., 1940-02-19
Accept Ideals
And Beliefs
OfOthers
Tolerance Should
Mean Cheerful
Sympathies
BY ANGELO PATRI.

Tolerance is condeScending
words but can't think of one that
will express my meaning any bet
ter. I want it to mean real SYM
pathy and consideration for other
peoples feelings, customs and be-
liefs. I want it to mean a broad
sympathy with people of all sorts,
an attempt at kindly understand
ing and cheerful acceptance of
other folks ideas.
Every body has his own notions
about what is right and what is
wrong, which is as it should be.
The trouble begins when some one
insists that what is right for him,
what he finds good, must be right
and good for all the rest of us.
That simply will not work. We are
born different and we must live diff
ferently. Living differently does not
make the difference a sin.
Sin is a big word and nobody
should use it lightly. When good
woman gets into state of indig-
nation about young folks dancing.
going to the theater, eating hot
dogs, using cosmetics, attending "a
church" instead of the church" she
is not going to convert anybody.
She is more likely to set them more
firmly in the road they have taken.
Her Righteousness is not theirs, and
they say, quite naturally, IF her
brand of goodness makes her what
she is, we're having none, thank
you"
Whenever an earnest man mounts
4 hobby-religious, political, or So
cial-and tries to make the rest
of the world ride along with him,
he isn't going to get anywhere
either. Human nature thrives best
in groups, but the leader who lasts
longest is the one who keeps his
own pet pattern of life for personal
use and allows other folk to do the
same.
Life is too intricate to allow of
any simple scheme like my way"
Each has a way in which he must,
like it or not, travel for the term
of his life. Something stronger
than life itself holds him to that
way. Better leave. it to him, so
long as his enjoyment of it hurts
no one else, and be slow to judge
that question. One mans meat is
another mans poison. Each to his
own is best.
Kindly people need never feel
alone. They can always gather a
few friends about them, people who
think near enough to their own
thoughts to make their ways har-
monious. There is no need of try
ing to drive out people who differ
Better leave them to prove by their
lives their own truths. You can
dislike them and leave them alone,
If you can do no better. Dislik
ing them and fighting them is futile.
And it is not following the Amer
tcan idea of liberation.
One mother thinks dancing a
sin, another is shocked by cards.
One man is angered at the thought
OF horse race and another Stimu-
1aueQ 10 JOY WaICnlng one. one
family reveres its own church. So
does the other family. Fighting
each other is not just the best
recommendation Of the church. In
tolerance gets nowhere but into the
ditch. Sweet reasonableness soothes
the storm and comforts the dis
tresSed, always.
And be wholehearted about it
Like people no matter how they
differ from you. Mean to like them
Lip service won't do. Just as long
as neighbor hates neighbor this
world will be cheated of its joy. II
we are to be happy we must accept
each other, as is, and go on from
there.
What's the best way to intro
duce the new baby into family
of brothers and sisters? This
and similar questions Is helpfully
answered in Angelo Patri's book
let, "Your Child and Other Peo-
pie" Send for it, inclosing 10
cents in coin. Address Angelo
Patri, care of this newspaper.