The war we have to wage today has only one goal, and that is to make the world safe for diversity.
U ThantRead
As a Buddhist, I was trained to be tolerant of everything except intolerance
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of tolerance while advocating against intolerance itself.
U Thant's quote reflects a fundamental principle in Buddhism regarding acceptance and understanding of differing perspectives. However, it draws a critical line by suggesting that while one should cultivate tolerance towards all beliefs and practices, this tolerance does not extend to those who promote intolerance, as such attitudes undermine peace and coexistence.
Themes
ToleranceIntoleranceAcceptancePeaceBuddhism
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about social justice, I mentioned, 'As a Buddhist, I was trained to be tolerant of everything except intolerance.'
More from U Thant
All quotes →Wars begin in the minds of men, and in those minds, love andcompassion would have built the defenses of peace.
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Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.
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As we watch the sun go down, evening after evening, through the smog across the poisoned waters of our native earth, we must ask ourselves seriously whether we really wish some future universal historian on another planet to say about us: "With all their genius and with all their skill, they ran out of foresight and air and food and water and ideas," or, They went on playing politics until their world collapsed around them.
U ThantRead
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