Tolerance quotes
561 quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
"People get used to anything. The less you think about your oppression, the more your tolerance for it grows. After a while, people just think oppression is the normal state of things. But to become free, you have to be acutely aware of being a slave."
"Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself."
"Tolerance is the last virtue of a depraved society. When you have an immoral society that has blatantly, proudly, violated all of the commandments of God, there is one last virtue they insist upon: tolerance for their immorality."
"Tolerance is the virtue of people who do not believe in anything."
"Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others."
Explore further
Browse quotes that often appear alongside tolerance — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.
Quote collection
Follow a thought to its author, or read the full quote page.
"Tolerance is just a fancy word for ignoring a fascist ideology. Acceptance is the only way."
"Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance."
"Why are so many problems today perceived as problems of intolerance, rather than as problems of inequality, exploitation, or injustice? Why is the proposed remedy tolerance, rather than emancipation, political struggle, or even armed struggle?"
"I learned that very often the most intolerant and narrow-minded people are the ones who congratulate themselves on their tolerance and open-mindedness."
"The peace I am thinking of is the dance of an open mind when it engages another equally open one."
"Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil."
"God made so many different kinds of people; why would God allow only one way to worship?"
"There is a huge difference between being tolerant and tolerating intolerance"
"Tolerance of intolerance is cowardice."
"I never will, by any word or act, bow to the shrine of intolerance or admit a right of inquiry into the religious opinions of others."
"Black literature is taught as sociology, as tolerance, not as a serious, rigorous art form."
"Tolerance can lead to learning something."
"Xenophobia doesn't benefit anybody unless you're playing high-stakes Scrabble."
"To me, friendship means loving tolerance."
"We cannot learn real patience and tolerance from a guru or a friend. They can be practiced only when we come in contact with someone who creates unpleasant experiences. According to Shantideva, enemies are really good for us as we can learn a lot from them and build our inner strength."
"The old endless chain of love, tolerance, indifference, aversion and disgust"
"The official toxicity limit for humans is between one and one and half grams of cocaine depending on body weight. I was averaging five grams a day, maybe more. I snorted ten grams in ten minutes once. I guess I had a high tolerance."
"Before God, I'm an intimate. Before people, I'm a servant. Before the powers of hell, I'm a ruler, with no tolerance for their influence. Wisdom knows which role to fulfill at the proper time"
"The fact is we can only love what we know personally. And we cannot know much. In public affairs, in the rebuilding of civilization, something less dramatic and emotional is needed, namely tolerance."
"Toleration is the best religion."
