The only effective way to prevent quarrels, whether at the individual or at the national or international level, is to train people’s minds: patience should be emphasized as the greatest of all virtues. Such a mentality can be developed only if negative thinking is replaced by positive thinking. Such a reform of the mind would lead to the most positive reconstruction of human affairs ever witnessed in human history.
The habit of tolerance prevents a man from wasting his time and talent on unnecessary matters. The policy of tolerance or forbearance enhances your efficacy, while intolerant behaviour reduces it. Tolerance is a positive principle of life, expressing the noble side of a man’s character. The existence of tolerant human beings in a society is just like the blooming of flowers in a garden.
The beauty of the garden of life is enhanced if the flower of unity is accompanied by the thorn of diversity. The formula of peaceful living in spite of diversity is to adopt a policy of tolerance in the midst of controversy. If people could only learn to tolerate others’ differences, their very forebearance would become a great enabling factor in collective human development.
Every man is born with an ‘ego’ which is normally dormant. Our safety lies in our allowing it to remain so. But if through ill-considered action it is somehow dealt a blow, it will rear up like a serpent and wreak all kinds of havoc.
