“Is Love and Tolerance Different or the Same Thing?”

Ok my dear friend and mentor, you knew I couldn’t resist a question like this, so like a big fat fish to a lure, I bite. LOL

First it will greatly depend on your definition of love. If you are in the mindset that love is that mushy gushy feeling or adrenaline rush, that you get when you are attracted to someone or something. Tolerance does not necessarily fit very well within this because it would taint your impression of whatever you are mushy or gushy about.

So what is “love” anyway?

In my heart: “Love is patient, Love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is very much a verb, it is a set of actions, that require, effort and self control.

According to Merriam-Webster’s https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tolerance the definition of tolerance is :

Definition of tolerance

1 : capacity to endure pain or hardship : endurance, fortitude, stamina 2a : sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own b : the act of allowing something : toleration 3 : the allowable deviation from a standard especially : the range of variation permitted in maintaining a specified dimension in machining a piece 4a(1) : the capacity of the body to endure or become less responsive to a substance (such as a drug) or a physiological insult especially with repeated use or exposure developed a tolerance to painkillers also : the immunological state marked by unresponsiveness to a specific antigen (2) : relative capacity of an organism to grow or thrive when subjected to an unfavorable environmental factor b : the maximum amount of a pesticide residue that may lawfully remain on or in food

Assuming that my friend’s question was directly in respect to parts 1 and 2 of the above definition. Then it must be assumed that if my understanding of love is correct then tolerance is an expression of love, remember that love is a verb not a noun.

BUT and here is the BIG BUT, the definition of love includes “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects,” Therefore one must always ask if what they are “tolerating” lines us with the rest of the definition of love.

If what the other believes is unjust, hurts them-self or someone else, then it is no longer loving to tolerate it.

Love is greater than tolerance, because love has a very high standard to follow, tolerance is just an expression of love. Therefor NO love and tolerance is NOT the same thing!