As I wrote previously, I am very interested in looking at the difference between tolerance and acceptance. It seems kind of ironic how situations show up in my life after I have noticed them through reading or writing. So, I have had a situation come up in which I will have an opportunity to look at tolerance vs. acceptance in a very real way. I work for an employer who has an interest in working with people who are not usually considered employable. These ‘unemployable’ people include those with physical and mental health disabilities. As part of a decision to challenge the belief that these people are ‘unemployable’, my employer has chosen to participate in a job coaching program. Our workplace will have people who are ‘disabled’ work in a kind of internship situation. We will be working side by side with these individuals. And because the success of the program will have a lot to do with the attitudes that the regular employees carry into it, he very wisely chose to talk with all of us as individuals. He met with us 1:1 to inform us about the program. He asked for our opinions about our participation in the program and our comfort level regarding working with the ‘disabled’. I was very impressed.
In my opinion, this will be an excellent exploration of the differences between tolerance and acceptance.
My employer seemed to be looking very seriously at the way that attitudes can contribute to the success or failure of having the 'disabled' work with us. When we bring people that are seen somehow as ‘less than’ into the workplace, how will the employees respond? He is asking us to recognize and deal with our prejudices. Even though he didn’t mention that directly in our conversation, I think that was his focus. He's confronting the issue directly. He's encouraging us to accept these ‘others’ into our workplace as equal participants. I find this whole thing fascinating. In a way, it will be practice in moving beyond prejudice. It will require us to learn something about acceptance on a higher level. If we merely tolerate these new workers, it will definitely show up. When people are merely tolerating, they can come up with a lot of ‘reasons’ for that. And those ‘reasons’ betray your mindset. If people sabotage the experience of the new ‘employees’, it will show. Have you ever been challenged in this way? Have you experienced situations in which you are thrown into close contact with an ‘other’? How did you respond? I think that when we respond by fighting acceptance, there is something at the bottom of it. And I believe that something is fear. Whether it is fear that somehow you will be diminished by the other or fear that you will be somehow threatened by the other, fear seems to be at the bottom of much hatred. If you notice that you are responding with tolerance, it might be helpful to ask yourself what you are really afraid of.
So, what will happen at work? I don’t know. I wasn’t involved in the conversations with other employees. I am relatively sure that my co-workers are compassionate enough to respond with openness to the possibility. What remains to be seen is how they respond in fact. That is where you will see what is really going on. I hope that it is positive. I want this to be a positive experience for the individuals being trained. But I also recognize that fear is sometimes experienced underneath the cover of how we present ourselves in public. Sometimes it shows up when we actually experience the challenge. I will be looking closely at myself for how fear shows up for me…and whether I can act in a way that is compassionate. I will also be watching the environment at my place of employment in general for how tolerance vs. acceptance shows up. After all, we can always learn from life. That is true for me. Isn’t it true for you?
In my opinion, this will be an excellent exploration of the differences between tolerance and acceptance.
My employer seemed to be looking very seriously at the way that attitudes can contribute to the success or failure of having the 'disabled' work with us. When we bring people that are seen somehow as ‘less than’ into the workplace, how will the employees respond? He is asking us to recognize and deal with our prejudices. Even though he didn’t mention that directly in our conversation, I think that was his focus. He's confronting the issue directly. He's encouraging us to accept these ‘others’ into our workplace as equal participants. I find this whole thing fascinating. In a way, it will be practice in moving beyond prejudice. It will require us to learn something about acceptance on a higher level. If we merely tolerate these new workers, it will definitely show up. When people are merely tolerating, they can come up with a lot of ‘reasons’ for that. And those ‘reasons’ betray your mindset. If people sabotage the experience of the new ‘employees’, it will show. Have you ever been challenged in this way? Have you experienced situations in which you are thrown into close contact with an ‘other’? How did you respond? I think that when we respond by fighting acceptance, there is something at the bottom of it. And I believe that something is fear. Whether it is fear that somehow you will be diminished by the other or fear that you will be somehow threatened by the other, fear seems to be at the bottom of much hatred. If you notice that you are responding with tolerance, it might be helpful to ask yourself what you are really afraid of.
So, what will happen at work? I don’t know. I wasn’t involved in the conversations with other employees. I am relatively sure that my co-workers are compassionate enough to respond with openness to the possibility. What remains to be seen is how they respond in fact. That is where you will see what is really going on. I hope that it is positive. I want this to be a positive experience for the individuals being trained. But I also recognize that fear is sometimes experienced underneath the cover of how we present ourselves in public. Sometimes it shows up when we actually experience the challenge. I will be looking closely at myself for how fear shows up for me…and whether I can act in a way that is compassionate. I will also be watching the environment at my place of employment in general for how tolerance vs. acceptance shows up. After all, we can always learn from life. That is true for me. Isn’t it true for you?
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