Character Quotables: Acceptance
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“There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it behooves all of us not to talk about the rest of us.”
“The price of the democratic way of life is a growing appreciation of people’s differences, not merely as tolerable, but as the essence of a rich and rewarding human experience.”
“I used to think anyone doing anything weird was weird. Now I know that it is the people that call others weird that are weird.”
“We need not think alike to love alike.”
“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”
“Don’t persuade, defend or interrupt. Be curious, be conversational, be real. And listen.”
“We should appreciate the beauty in the diversity. It would be a boring world, if every flower were the same shape, color, and size.”
“We don’t need to share the same opinions as others, but we need to be respectful.”
“I think tolerance and acceptance and love is something that feeds every community.”
“I would never belong to a group that would accept someone like me as a member.”
“Tolerance is the positive and cordial effort to understand another’s beliefs, practices, and habits without necessarily sharing them.”
“Tolerance consists of seeing certain things with your heart instead of your eyes.”
“A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms.”
“Acceptance is simply love in practice. When you love, you accept, when you lack love, you judge.”
“Be curious, not judgmental.”
“As I get older, the more I stay focused on the acceptance of myself and others, and choose compassion over judgment and curiosity over fear.”
“Once we recognize the fact that every individual is a treasury of hidden and unsuspected qualities, our lives become richer, our judgment better, and our world is more right.”
“Genuine tolerance does not mean ignoring differences as if differences made no difference. Genuine tolerance means engaging differences within a bond of civility and respect.”
“The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.”
“Have a big enough heart to love unconditionally, and a broad enough mind to embrace the differences that make each of us unique.”
“We all came in on different ships, but we’re all in the same boat now.”
“Don’t judge me by my past. I don’t live there anymore.”
“Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it.”
“It is easier to reach our potential when we learn the value of including others in our quest.”
“We can find common ground only by moving to higher ground.”
“In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.”
“Tolerance comes with age. I see no fault committed that I myself could not have committed at some time or other.”
“If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships – the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace.”
“We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box.”
“It is not love that is blind; it is only the unnoticing eye that cannot see the real qualities of people.”
“The best ideas emerge when very different perspectives meet.”
“Surrender to what is, let go of what was, have faith in what will be.”
“Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.”
“We should not permit tolerance to degenerate into indifference.”
“Don’t stare.”
“Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there’s got to be a way through it.”
“Our similarities bring us to a common ground; our differences allow us to be fascinated by each other.”
“The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety.”
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.”
“We judge what we don’t understand”
“Let us develop respect for all living things. Let us try to replace violence and intolerance with understanding, compassion and love.”
“Acceptance is not love. You love a person because he or she has lovable traits, but you accept everybody just because they’re alive and human.”
“Ultimately, America’s answer to the intolerant man is diversity, the very diversity which our heritage of religious freedom has inspired.”
“I think tolerance and acceptance and love is something that feeds every community.”
“Inclusion works to the advantage of everyone. We all have things to learn and we all have something to teach.”
“I believe that we are here for each other, not against each other.”
“If you look into someone’s face long enough, eventually you’re going to feel that you’re looking at yourself.”
“Being inclusive is having a human connection without placing judgments before it.”
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”
“To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater.”
“I believe that the greatest kindness is acceptance.”
How can you use Quotes?
Start a discussion: Quotes can start a discussion about a character trait at the beginning of a meeting or the dinner table. You can ask questions about what it means, how they have seen the trait demonstrated in their own lives, or how they can develop it themselves.
Provide a model: Quotes can provide a model of good character. When you read a quote from a famous person or historical figure, you show that people they admire also value the same character traits.
Use quotes as writing/journal prompts: Ask them to write a short essay about a quote to help them think more deeply about its implications for their lives.
Post quotes: You can post quotes where they will be seen/heard often – classroom, breakroom, lobby, dining room, email signatures, video bulletin boards, morning announcements, social media, etc.
Read quotes aloud: You can read quotes aloud to your children during mealtimes, bedtime, or any other time you spend together.
Make it fun: You can make it even more fun by incorporating games, activities, or crafts. Let children decorate signs with the quotes to hang in the classroom or a bedroom door. Record children saying it and post it on social media.