TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

The adoption of a policy of tolerance in the face of controversy and opposition is not a negative step. It is undoubtedly a positive course of action. The adoption of a policy of tolerance in the face of controversy and opposition is not a negative step. It is undoubtedly a positive course of action. Divergence of views plays an important role in the development of the human psyche. It is only after running the intellectual gauntlet that a developed personality emerges. In a human society, if this process ceases to operate, the development of character will come to a standstill. Nobody in this world is perfect. A person endowed with some good qualities, may be lacking in others. This is one of the reasons why differences crop up among people. But, for life as a whole, these differences are actually a great blessing: the good points of one person may compensate for the shortcomings of another, just as one set of talents in one person may complement a different set in another. If people could only learn to tolerate others’ differences, their very forbearance would become a great enabling factor in collective human development. The habit of tolerance prevents one from wasting one's time and talent on unnecessary friction. When negatively affected by another’s unpalatable behaviour, one's mental equilibrium gets upset. But if one remains emotionally untouched by such behaviour, the mind will fully retain its equilibrium and, without wasting a single moment, one will continue to perform one's work in the normal way. The policy of tolerance or forbearance enhances efficacy, while intolerant behaviour reduces it. Tolerance is not an act of compulsion. It is a positive principle of life, expressing the noble side of a person's character. The existence of tolerant human beings in a society is just like the blooming of flowers in a garden. o One should differentiate between an achievable and a non-achievable target, only then will one's efforts be fruitful.