Troublesome Quote

Came across this quote recently.


Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.
-- G.K. Chesterton  
On the face of that it had a certain resonance to it, but it also felt troubling, but I wasn't immediately sure why.

My main exposure to Chesterton is through his character Father Brown, who I'm mainly familiar with through his incarnation in the BBC TV series of the same name (featuring the delightful Mark Williams).

Something felt wrong with it. I spent some time pondering, trying to figure out precisely what. I recognized that having convictions is a hallmark of a strong ethical stance and solid reasoning; and yet I find there is very little in life that I feel convinced of/ "convicted" about to the point of genuine intolerance.

So, I ask, what are the criteria for determining what's worth having convictions about?

It's easy to have convictions; they're a dime a dozen, readily available from any street corner preacher. It's far less easy to know when they're justifiable and can withstand the tests of reason, character, good judgment, empathy, compassion.

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