To be Tolerated..

[Adrenaline Junkie]

I know toleration CAN be a good thing, but in a sense toleration bothers me. We want to be tolerated, but in a sense if we were just tolerated we wouldn't be respected, accepted ... just tolerated.

Does anyone get what I'm saying?

I don't want to be tolerated. I want to be respected for being a Witch, and who I am. I want to be accepted. Toleration to me seems, they're just putting up with me.

Replies?

[willowfairy]

You can't always get what you want. Be thankful people at least tolerate you. And toleration could possibly turn into respect and acceptance if you give it time.

[SimplyStrange]

*clap clap clap clap clap*

I see EXACTLY what you're saying. Rather than just being...tolerated...you want to be accepted. You want to be seen as an equal. I know just how you feel.

Rather than have people just go "eh, you're alright I guess." It's a much better and personal feeling to be acknowledged and accepted as being YOU. Indeed, Junkie, I was waiting for someone to say this.

[willowfairy]

People accept me because I'm ... me. Nobody knows I am a Wiccan except Krystal, and I bet she forgot. :rolleyes: But people have shunded me for other things. So I could be totally not getting at what your saying.

[bluecat]

Good words Adrenaline Junkie. :cool:

[flar7]

feel this way every day. We all want to be respected, but you're never sure if you are. Are they taking you seriously or just putting up with you. Even your friends may sometimes only tolerate you. Thats life.

[Myst]

I know the people I care about accept me, the people who can't accept me aren't worth my time.

But when I find out someone I thought respected me and knew me and they show they don't it makes me angry, then upset, then I just end up shrugging and go oh well - in the words of Saint Jerome, "the friendship that can cease has never been real".

[Margie]

When I'm out in public I don't want to be TOLERATED. Tolerated to me is "putting up with" (as stated above). Tolerated is someone being polite to you because they have to-not because they believe in politeness. It's being recognized just because you're there. It's getting by because people are letting you get by just because it's fair.

Being accepted is someone being polite to you because even if you're different from them-they respect that. (they don't HAVE to respect that) It's being recognized for your differences, faults, likes and dislikes and finding the medium that brings us together. It's getting by with help from those who believe in a persons right to succeed-or by yourself because noone is holding you back...not just because they're only "tolerating" you.

Toleration is the negative. Acceptance is the positive. You push away the people you "tolerate" and embrace the ones you "accept".

(steps off soap box and runs like hell)

[bansidhe]

*claps* yay margie! i agree aj, i personally strive for more than juss tolerance, but half the time i dont even have that much! ahh, the price one pays for attending a christian school...but i guess you gotta start with something. you can have a big tree without the seed (or whatever itty bitty thing starts the big thing off...lets not get technical here! :) ), the seed being tolerance, and after time, that seed grows, and progresses to a sapling, and then after a fair bit more time, it becomes some mass thing. and depending on where it grows, the time also varies.
i dont know if that made sense to anyone. it made sense to me anyways! :D

[Margie]

Originally posted by bansidhe
...but i guess you gotta start with something. you can have a big tree without the seed (or whatever itty bitty thing starts the big thing off...lets not get technical here! :) ), the seed being tolerance, and after time, that seed grows, and progresses to a sapling, and then after a fair bit more time, it becomes some mass thing. and depending on where it grows, the time also varies.
i dont know if that made sense to anyone. it made sense to me anyways! :D

I think I get what you mean. :)

[Adrenaline Junkie]

I'm lovin the responses here.

[Twig]

You've come to right place! Here, people RESPECT each other in ways that make an old druid smile.

Welcome Friend. Peace be with you.
Twig

[LadyAutumnCat]

Bansidhe,

You put it beautifully!!! For so long we have been taught to tolerate differences and it has always bothered me, why not teach acceptance for others, this way we could all embrace and learn from all the varied opinions and people? I guess in an ideal world this would happen, maybe someday. Till then, as long as some of us try to accept one another we can make this a slightly better place to live!!

[Shadowulfe]

the only people that accept me are the important people in my life, allthough it would be wonderful if everyone accepted the fact that Witches heal. i guess that is one of the main reasons why i like it here at MW. I'm accepted for who i am and what i believe in. I have made a few friends since i have been here and they accept me.