2007/12/13 Dublin
Tolerant attitude
Big mistakes
In Avishai Margalit’s book “The ethics of memory” I came across this thought: “The test of the liberal, in my view, is in his acceptance of another’s right to make his or her own big mistakes. It is easy to adopt a tolerant attitude toward mistakes made by people to whom we are basically indifferent. But it is difficult with regard to people we care about, perhaps most of all with regard to our children.”
Love is intolerant and parental love is the most intolerant love of all. Nevertheless my parents accepted my big mistakes. The war is not over yet, but I’m very much afraid I’m winning.
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12 comments 
AG
All parents must at some point relinquish their intolerance. If you are still at war with your mother, then you are still a child, either in your own mind or in hers. If you believe you are winning this war then I am afraid it is in yours.Mr Carrot
Your sentences are getting progressively less grammatical.brothers
Aron,Don't be afraid,
I'm an identical twin, the hardest mistakes for me to accept and forgive are those made by my brother. Even worse , his inability to give absolution for my own mistakes.
With parents it might signify that you've grown up.
With twins it means you're alone.
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916) D.W. Griffith
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3186194839005883658Griffith shows four historical examples in which the human nature is intolerant. From the old Babylon to Judea, to Paris in the 16th century, and the 'modern' America.
'Out of the cradle endlessly rocking'
You should watch the beginning: 'Out of the cradle endlessly rocking'
@ Monica - Thank you!
Or did I misunderstand?
As a mother I don't have 'to adopt a tolerant attitude toward mistakes' made by my children. I am tolerant to their mistakes. Of course I want them to be perfectbecause I raised them to be perfect. As they want me to be a perfect mother.
But are tolerant to my mistakes. I guess.
Once my parents did not accept my mistakes and I lost. By aiming for revenge and trying to win, I understood it was not a good thing to let them loose and to humiliate them in return. It was all too easy – although not so easy - for me to win the war from the elderly, like it was very easy for them to win the battle from a child, then. Now we live in mere coexistence, sometimes there are still battles, sometimes lulls and sometimes even joy.
Vera
You can't be much more intolerant then wanting your children to be perfect and raising them to be, seems horror, for them and for you. Btw, when is it perfect and for who, the parents or the children? Just love them and let them grow and relax watching them doing that.Winning
It's getting quite macho here the last period, learning to shoot, participating in warzones and ending the impossible discussions parents/children like a footballmatch, strange....If there has to be a winner in any kind of relation it's always the one that survives and get's on with life.
Monica
I'll watch the movie soon.:)
perfect
wulfyI am sorry, I was joking.
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