Do you live and let live?

For the most part, yes.

yes, for the most part unless it is harmful.

Depends....

Yes, to a point. Harming or incoveniencing aside,,,completly annoying for an extended amount of time would warrent disdain.

Yes, if they're not harming anyone directly.

People they should be left alone and let a person live their lives as they see it and nobody should interfere with that person's beliefs

Yeah. I sometimes think I'm too tolerate of certain things.

I don't fully accept your premise. I think you can be tolerant and still sometimes criticize privately. I think I am generally, although certainly not always, a tolerant person. But I will totally make snarky remarks about people. I would defend their rights to think, believe, look and behave as they think right, but I also defend my right to say whatever the hell I want to say about them behind their backs.

Yep. Go ahead and be a freak. See if I care.

> I don't fully accept your premise. I think
> you can be tolerant and still sometimes criticize
> privately. I think I am generally, although
> certainly not always, a tolerant person.
> But I will totally make snarky remarks about
> people. I would defend their rights to think,
> believe, look and behave as they think right,
> but I also defend my right to say whatever
> the hell I want to say about them behind
> their backs.

That makes sense. As long as people are treated decent I see no harm.

I made this survey because I have seen on a pet peeves board and on local craigslist rants and raves, how absolutely petty society can be. I do think people would be more happy if they didn't get bent out of shape over petty things. One example: "Oh the horror.. I asked for buttered popcorn at the movies and the guy asked if I wanted butter!!" Maybe the kid was tired. I also noticed so many people can't stand other people believing whatever they want, or living how they want, to the point of criticizing to their face.
All we need is love, you know.

Me either.

You know you did. You know you did. You know you did.

When it gets right down to it, tolerance is a paradox. Well, maybe that's too black and white. But, we all have our limits. Should we tolerate NAMBLA? Or, harsh Islamic laws? Or civil rights abuses in China. Abortion?

Whether something is harming others is a matter of perspective or opinion.

Most people think of themselves as tolerant, but it's just another lie we tell ourselves.

Yes, absolutely. Unfortunately I don't get that attitude back from peole in return.

Do you think that maybe the predominance of negative judgment in society creates an atmosphere where people are more afraid to be themselves and act outside the norm?
Or should people just go on acting and appearing strange, and not be bothered that they know they are being sneered at behind their back?

Yes on both counts. Social norms (including negative judgment concerning certain behaviors) actually serve a useful purpose in terms of peaceful group coexistence. Human beings developed them for a reason. They're what make us a society that, despite our problems, works remarkably well. On the other hand, within the various permutations of our society, some cultures (including ours) value individuality and believe that it should be encouraged. Some people will rebel against the norms, and that, too, is useful in terms of developing and maintaining the kind of culture we value. We've had this discussion before and I know we won't agree. It comes back to my belief that most human behavior is in some way determined by the social structures that we, as a species, have created for ourselves.

Negative judgment concerning horrible behavior is fine and serves a useful purpose. Negative judgment concerning good behavior and individuality worth kudos has the opposite effect. It discourages something that should be encouraged. Sometimes people don't recognize a good thing when they see it though, and it's a shame.

True. As with many things, though, you have to take the negative extremes in order to ensure the existence of the happy middle.

I don't think we are at a happy middle though. There are too many negative extremes.

I think there's room to improve, but in the US, for example, extreme violence over social difference is pretty rare, which indicates that we're doing pretty well where the happy middle is concerned.

> didn't get bent out of shape over petty things.

> One example: "Oh the horror.. I asked for buttered
> popcorn at the movies and the guy asked if I wanted
> butter!!"

THAT is harsh. It would have made a funny remark or a funny story about the night, but that's just mean

It's pretty rare, but becoming less rare in high schools.

At the same time, though, more and more high schools have openly gay students and faculty. There's more acceptance of difference, and maybe the violence is a backlash that will fade as acceptance increases. Or maybe the violence is about something else.

True. Maybe oddball/outcasts will be accepted next. We can hope.

By the standards described here, no. I have criticized all these things. Having said that, however, I don't see offering criticism as intolerant.

> I don't fully accept your premise. I think you can be tolerant and
> still sometimes criticize privately. I think I am generally, although
> certainly not always, a tolerant person. But I will totally make snarky
> remarks about people. I would defend their rights to think, believe,
> look and behave as they think right, but I also defend my right to
> say whatever the hell I want to say about them behind their backs.

Here, here; I concur.

I think it depends on what you are criticizing, how you are criticizing, and why. If your criticism is insanely subjective, Subjective, well reasoned criticism is constructive. I don't think that's what Lahdee meant, though.based on personal preferences, then it can be intolerant.

I prefer to live and let die... ROFL... Actually as long as people keep their ideas and lifestyle, and beliefs to themselves then fine...once they start getting in my face they become a pain in the arse...

Depends on if it is live or if it's Memorex.

It's "live", not live silly

Well how was I supposed to know?

Yes................ doesn't mean I cannot rip the piss out of them though (Translation: make jokes at their expense, tease them etc)

I both criticise others and let them live. Being as I am alive myself, I would say that qualified as live and let live, regardless of your explanation.

I criticize people, based on actions alone.

I regard myself as fairly tolerant and I'm quite happy to let others live their lives how they choose and not interfere with it. Doesn't mean I have to agree with it all the time though.