Eight Values

 Promote Tolerance

The Tolerant Society: Freedom of Speech and Extremist Speech by Lee C. Bollinger

Being a college student, there are a lot of topics that I feel I cannot talk about with people, because of controversy and the fear they will disagree with my opinions. Whether the topic is politics, religion, or something small but problematic, it's easier to keep it to yourself to avoid confrontation or a debate. This is why the free expression value "Promote Tolerance", discussed by Lee Bollinger in "The Tolerant Society: Freedom of Speech and Extremist Speech", stood out the most to me.

Bollinger's main idea is how protecting speech, even controversial speech, will make people more tolerant over time when discussing touchy subjects. It would be a violation of freedom of expression to ban hate speech. Even though it's upsetting and can definitely cross lines from okay to not okay, this will build up society's self-restraint towards ideas some may not agree with. The goal of promoting tolerance isn't to eventually agree with ideas you don't, it is to be open to other topics and not find fear in offending people as well with your own opinion. Bollinger argues that hearing offensive speech teaches us as a society how to evaluate and reject or accept ideas rather than suppressing them right away. 

Social media plays a big part in relation to the idea of promoting tolerance. While there are negative ways people share their views on controversial topics online, there is also a positive side to this.

Positives

• Social media places people in contact with political opinions they may not talk about in daily life. According to Pew Research, political content is common on social media platforms, making social media important places for free expression and public debate. [pewresearch.org]
• Some research supports Bollinger's theory directly. A 2025 study found that social media use was associated with increased tolerance among adolescents, suggesting that exposure to different perspectives can encourage understanding and tolerance. [frontiersin.org]

Negatives

• Not everyone would agree that social media promotes tolerance. Some research suggests that social media can increase political polarization when users only interact with people who share their beliefs. [academic.oup.com]
• Another criticism of social media is that it can make public discussions more hostile. Because people can easily post comments without seeing others face-to-face, disagreements can become personal attacks rather than respectful conversations, making tolerance more difficult. [academic.oup.com]

While I am part of the people who would rather not talk about something than debate it, I think it is important to discuss this controversial topics in order to grow past the immaturity of being sensitive to argumentative conversations. As a freshman, I'm meeting people with different views as well as different personalities, so I come across confrontational people quite often. However, its important that since I agree on Lee Bollinger's theory of promoting tolerance, I will try to stop refraining from conversations that intimidate me, because in the end I can either learn more, or stay confident in my opinions. 

Overall, the value of promoting tolerance resonates with me because it encourages people to engage with difficult ideas rather than avoid them. While freedom of speech can sometimes be uncomfortable, I think it plays an important role in helping individuals and society become more open-minded. In a world heavily influenced by social media and constant communication, learning how to tolerate disagreement may be more important than ever.

AI DISCLOSURE - I used Microsoft Copilot as a brainstorming and research assistance tool while developing this blog post. Copilot helped me identify sources and organize my ideas. I reviewed the information provided, selected the sources used, and wrote and revised the final post myself. The opinions, reflections, and conclusions expressed in this assignment are my own.