Thanks for your comment! SN: I've read several of your articles and appreciate the challenging perspectives you share.

Personally, I'm not really a fan of the word "tolerance" because to me it implies reluctance - a begrudging acceptance of something you don't really like. I don't think ignorance - especially when it causes harm to others - should be "tolerated," but I also don't think that berating and otherizing people is a good strategy for combatting ignorance.

When you think about it, humans are by nature conservative. Change is scary for all of us because uncertainty carries risk and risk can mean death. I think the challenge for anyone who wants change is effectively communicating to naysayers how maintaining the status quo is actually riskier than the alternative. That's how you create authentic group buy-in, but it requires a level of skill, emotional intelligence, and understanding of the issues that few people want to take the time to develop.

Bashing people with conservative or regressive views into ideological submission doesn't make their perception of change any less scary. It just breeds more fear and resistance. I agree with you - it's a very right-wing, authoritarian approach to forcing progress, and in the end it will always fail.

I think most people want what's best for themselves and for others, and most people will change their minds when presented with compelling arguments. When we approach any dialogue from that standpoint, that's when a real path forward can begin to emerge.