Erik Griffin Quotes

I grew up in Manhattan, and I've always had all kinds of people around me. I've always had a very 'live and let live' point of view.

I grew up in New York City, a town with different races, religions, and peoples. It breeds tolerance.

I have no problem being with people of different nationalities.

If you aren't just brought up in your tribe but interact with other people either directly or vicariously, through journalism and literature, you see what life is like from other points of view and are less likely to demonize them or dehumanize others and more likely to empathize with them.

To me, the good thing about living in L.A. is diversity in lifestyle choices, color, and religion.

In Europe, the big word is tolerance. You tolerate everything.

In a multicultural, diverse society there are countless ways in which people negotiate the everyday lived experience and reality of diversity.

No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.

One of the reasons I came to Berkeley was because I saw so many students of all different colors speaking so many different languages and ferociously presenting all these different views. I thought, this is the 21st century and I want to be here!

We must see the pluralism of the world, and not bind it by seeking common denominators.

If it is not possible for me to go somewhere and to be willing to encounter people with different views, then I'm really not doing my job.

I don't want to get rid of the typical Dutch tolerance.

We have to accept the world has become this place where we have to interact with people who are very different from us.

The world is getting smaller. And people are bumping up against people from different parts of the world with very different points of view. The challenge of our time is going to be, how do you allow other points of view to exist within what you traditionally see as your world?

I like the Bay Area because it's very diverse, and I'm in touch with the people.

I was really able to integrate into a diverse school and learn to get along with all different types of people.

It's better to live a world where you can hear different languages and sensibilities.

I grew up around a mix of a lot of people, so I got a lot of different perspectives. As a kid, I appreciated that.

Since I learned the truth in Mecca, my dearest friends have come to include all kinds - some Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, agnostics, and even atheists! I have friends who are called capitalists, Socialists, and Communists! Some of my friends are moderates, conservatives, extremists - some are even Uncle Toms! My friends today are black, brown, red, yellow, and white!

You know, the more you can meet people from different walks of life, the better it is for you. I think the more you can create situations and experiences that give you new perspective, the better.

I want our students to be so accustomed to children of other cultures that the words 'diversity' and 'tolerance' won't be in their vocabulary. They won't need them - they'll live it.

I wanted to work with people from the world, with different minds and different visions.

What I loved the most about Oakland was that all of my neighbors came in as many colors, ideas, and religions as there are people on the planet. How lucky I was to know so many people that were so different and yet so much alike!

Hawaii is a special place because we have a very diverse population there, who are very respectful and tolerant of those who have differing opinions and different views.

Tolerance is forced on people in London.