You can’t fight intolerance with tolerance though.
I never said you should. I’m merely saying that we need to remember that the person being intolerant is a person, with the same complexities and nuances as every other person. I’m saying we ought to fight a lack of understanding by being understanding. We should fight intolerance with kindness and correction rather than combativeness.
When possible and within reason, obviously. But if our first response to intolerance is shunning and judgement, then there is no path to tolerance for that individual. If our goal is to improve society, it cannot be done with spite and punishment as the initial tools.
I wouldn’t be who I am today if people had decided not to engage with my youthful intolerance in a way that led me to think more.