It seems hard to believe that in the middle of the 21st century there are many individuals who are intolerant of others. It’s hard to believe that in the 21st century there are many individuals who are intolerant of others. You think, “Something doesn’t seem right…”

Intolerant people express it in different ways , for example, in a conversation about homosexuality, making it clear that they still live with the primitive (or perhaps atrophied) mind supporting ideas full of prejudice. But above all, they make their discomfort clear with an aggressive, resentful and uneducated tone. Without a doubt, intolerant people are better off being kept away.

  • Related text: “The 9 signs to identify and neutralize a toxic person”

Characteristics of intolerant people

Whether we like it or not, we have to live with this kind of person. But what are these characters like? Intolerant people have a number of characteristics (if you can call them that, because I would call them defects) that you can find below.

1. They are full of prejudice

Intolerant people have too many prejudices , that is, they prejudge a person or situation based on a previous opinion or something that is not well known. Moreover, they allow themselves to be influenced by stereotypes, ideas of something or someone accepted as a pattern of qualities or behaviour.

In a sense, first impressions and biases make such people attack the interests of others before they know what those interests really are.

2. Discriminate

This model of thinking based on prejudices and stereotypes leads them to become discriminatory and intolerant people , who at the very least become angry. They often discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, disability or other disorders. Any categorization of identity is a good excuse to offer unequal treatment.

3. They are fanatics

Intolerant people are people with a high degree of fanaticism . Because these people firmly believe in their ideas, they also defend them with an exaggerated and excessive passion. Group fanaticism, moreover, favours the formation of prejudices towards other groups of people, and is a breeding ground for inter-group, but also inter-individual conflict.

4. They are uncompromising

It may seem that the words intolerant and intransigent are the same thing, but, despite being closely related, they are not exactly the same. Intolerance is not accepting the ideas of others, believing that you know everything and openly discussing these ideas; while intransigence is not giving in to the demands and requests of others. Intolerant people are also, very often, intransigent .

5. They don’t listen

Intolerant people defend their ideas, but not only that, but they do not listen to the opinion of others . Since they think they are right about everything, their idea is the only one that counts and they consider that knowing what other people think is a waste of time. In practice, it is as if the opinion of others does not exist.

6. They are authoritarian

The authoritarian personality is a set of individual characteristics that are usually learned during childhood and include anti-democratic and intolerant traits. Often, someone who has been raised in an environment with many rules and where the expression of ideas and feelings is restricted ends up adopting a domineering attitude when dealing with others.

When you come across an authoritarian person, no matter whether they are right or wrong, the opinion of others is worthless and you have to obey them or they get angry.

7. They have problems with their interpersonal relationships

And of course, taking into account the above characteristics, it is clear that intolerant people have serious difficulties in maintaining interpersonal relationships and come into conflict with other people quite often. They always try to be right and look down on others.

At the root of these conflicts, lack of communication, unilateralism and domination usually play a decisive role.

8. Possess dichotomous thinking

For people who are intolerant, either black or white, there is no middle ground . They are people who want to have everything under control, because they have grown up in families that have generally educated them this way.

Therefore, those who are intolerant tend to categorize as “enemies” people who do not position themselves in their favor on certain issues.

9. Fear of uncertainty

Since they are people who want to have everything under control and think that everything is black or white, they are afraid of uncertainty and don’t want to accept that there are other points of view and that in life everything is not always well tied up. They hate spontaneity and the unexpected.

10. Are psychologically inflexible and rigid

One of the causes of the previous point is their rigid thinking and that they only think that there is one truth: theirs. There are no more options, and when someone tries to confront their opinions, a great anxiety is generated inside them. It is this fear of the unknown that makes them behave this way, in an intolerant way. This is their way of ensuring that the only truth that exists is theirs and no one else’s.

11. They explode at a minimum

Intolerant people see other people as threats , and when someone tries to contradict them they act in a hostile way. Because they have a discriminatory mentality and are fanatical about their ideas, they are often aggressive towards other individuals or groups.

12. No fit for criticism

These people don’t know how to handle criticism , and as mentioned in the previous point, they act badly when someone tells them they are not doing well. On some occasions, we have all been criticized. Sometimes they may not be true, but other times they can help us to think about what we are doing wrong. Intolerant people don’t do self-criticism.

Spiteful people: What are they like?

In addition, these types of people are also often spiteful and vindictive. A grudge is a negative feeling that can be very harmful to your psychological health.

  • But what are people with a grudge like? What are their characteristic traits? In this article we explain: “Spiteful people: 10 traits and attitudes that characterize them”