One of the greatest disasters of our time is our universal acceptance of the word "tolerance" as a great virtue. It's lauded from the big screen and little screen, as well as in the print press: We mustn't be judgmental, and we must be tolerant of other people and their points of view.

The reality is that all of us are intolerant of many things. For example, should anybody be tolerant of child abusers, wife abusers or the concepts of the Ku Klux Klan? Should we really be tolerant of people's right to say and do anything that they believe is right?

Should we be tolerant of the views of the Nazis or communists or of those who believe we all should "do our own thing," regardless of the damage to other people? I received a letter from a gentleman who criticized me for my lack of tolerance, yet his criticism of my lack of tolerance concerning a certain issue revealed his own intolerance.

I believe the problem is our confusion between tolerance and an open mind. I have an open mind as far as the acceptance of people and ideas until it becomes obvious that their ideas are illegal, immoral or unethical. For example, I would not defend the rights of pedophiles, and I hope and believe that your tolerance level also would be zero for those people. You would be tolerant of pedophiles' right to fair trials but intolerant of their right to continue to abuse children.

Message: Keep an open mind and be tolerant of the rights of others to believe what they believe, but if what they believe violates the laws of God or man, I encourage you to be intolerant. I will see you at the top!

You, Too, Can Be a Philanthropist

When the word "philanthropist" is used, the average individual thinks of someone who is both rich and generous, a person who not only is capable of donating large sums of money to worthwhile causes but also does that very thing on a regular basis. However, the word "philanthropy" comes from two Greek words, "philos," which means "loving," and "anthropos," which means "man." When you put those two together, a "philanthropist" is a "loving man."

This reminds us that all of us can be — should be — philanthropists because we can be loving and we can do things for the betterment of mankind. We can give something that can't be bought. We can give our interest, our love, our time and our concern to our fellow human beings.

As the population ages, more and more people are being confined to their homes, or they're spending the last few years of their lives in nursing homes or retirement homes. The need for something beyond medical care and a place to get food, shelter and clothing is growing every day. One service, which brings the greatest mutual benefit, is for people to visit these retirement homes regularly and spend time with the individual residents. These residents feel extraordinary joy and delight when someone gives them personal attention and occasionally takes them out for a meal.

Other things you can do to qualify as a philanthropist are reading for the blind, regularly calling shut-ins just for a chat, working with Meals On Wheels to take nutritious meals to those who are confined to their homes, being a regular contributor to blood drives, serving as a nurse's aide, or being a volunteer at a hospital. All of those services are needed and bring considerable satisfaction. Do some of those things regularly, and I'll see you at the top!

To find out more about Zig Ziglar and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. Subscribe to Zig Ziglar's free e-mail newsletter through info@zigziglar.com.

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