July 4, 2025
We all want to be open-minded, inclusive, fair. But here’s the trap
It sounds backwards, but it’s true. If you tolerate everything, even the intolerant, you end up creating space for them to take over, and once they do, they won’t return the favour.
Karl Popper, a 20th-century philosopher of science, understood the dangers of this better than most. He escaped Nazi-occupied Austria. He knew what happened when bad ideas went unchallenged and when polite society stayed silent too long. His work focused on how societies grow, evolve, and protect themselves from collapse. He believed in open societies but with guardrails. Tolerance, yes, Naivety, no.
So what does this have to do with entrepreneurship?
Everything.
Entrepreneurs don’t just build businesses, they build culture, they create the norms, they decide
That means you’re not neutral, you’re setting a tone, whether you like it or not.
So ask yourself
Tolerance doesn’t mean appeasement; it means standing for something, because the moment you tolerate intolerance, you invite decay. If you’re building the future, you’re also responsible for protecting it.
In all that we do, let us seek wisdom, discipline, courage & justice.