Tolerance is built when a force begins at a low level and gradually increases.
Everything in creation has a certain tolerance level and if it passes that level it becomes altered and its system changes and this alteration or change usually causes damage or chaos. For example, if you put pressure on a glass and this pressure is more than the endurance point of the glass, it will break. Metals like gold, silver or copper have different melting point and if they are heated more than their endurance point they melt and their state is altered from solid to liquid. Plants and animals have different tolerances as well. Human being is a creation who benefits from free will, therefore with practice he can change his tolerance point.
However, human beings have various tolerance levels and each individual has a different capacity to endure certain circumstances and if mental or physical pressures are beyond one’s endurance point that person can lose his temper or control. This can be seen in arguments and verbal or physical confrontations when two or more people are shouting at each other or using vulgarities. For instance, as a father, brother, partner, friend or an employer, we can tolerate people’s behavior or criticism until a certain a level or vice versa. However, we have to be careful not to cross that boundary or limit or else that person can lose his or her temper and get out of control. At that moment, the person’s facial expression changes, the heart beats faster and mutual respect or social manners mean very little as all the lines are crossed in a surge of anger and anything can happen. This is because the endurance point of that person or his tolerance limit has been breached and that person is on the verge of fury. We can conclude that most of the outrages, violations, fights, murders and other forms of vice take place on the verge of fury and we should seriously avoid it.
Sometimes our words are worthless for ourselves but these words can do reclamation or destruction. It has happened for many times that a speech transformed a person or persuaded a person to commit suicide! Therefore we should be careful with choosing our words. In other situations, the tolerance level of humans can vary,
for example an individual can hold his breath for 10 seconds and another person can sleep in a grave for 10 days without breathing. A person can only run 50 meters whereas another can run 5000 meters and in other conditions such as cold, heat, unpleasant circumstances and calamities, this point can be different.
But the issue that we are concerned with is that building up tolerance in an individual in most situations is attainable and it is done through continuous efforts and repetitions along with the needed time period and it can be expanded in both negative and positive direction. Increasing tolerance in negative matters (vices) such as lying, backbiting… or substance abuse is very easy and convenient and the individual doesn’t suffer any hardships. In fact, increasing tolerance in negative issues is mostly accompanied with joy and satisfaction and this is the illusion and trick designed by the great architect.
Adopted from the book " Love, 14 Valleys to Know Thyself"
written by: Hossein Dezhakam
Translated by: Ehsan Ranjbar