True Tolerance

Finally, we begin to see that all people, including ourselves, are to some degree emotionally ill as well as frequently wrong, and the we approach true tolerance and we see what real love for our fellows actually means.
TWELVE STEPS AND
TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 92

The thought occurred to me that all people are emotionally ill to some extent. How could we not be? Who among us is spiritually perfect? How could any of us be emotionally perfect? Therefore, what else are we to do but bear with one another and treat each other as well as we would be treated in similar circumstances? That is what love really is.

Daily Reflections, p. 304

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Does it really matter to me whether others are emotional ill or not? The answer to this question is that it does matter when others take their neurosis to me and force me to do something about it. But I have to ask myself, how often does that actually happen? I don’t have to ignore neurotic and sometimes paranoid behavior but tolerance doesn’t necessarily translate to approval. I have often wasted valuable time renting room in my head to the foibles of other people. It is even more important that I don’t discount and eliminate others from my heart. Most of the harm others do to me is based on a misunderstanding and rarely can it be a vicious affront. Before I take drastic measures against another it is better for me to pause when agitated or doubtful. This takes practice and practice is what meditation is all about.
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