Tolerance can take offence out of a debate: Raghuram Rajan

Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan on Saturday said tolerance can take the offense out of a debate, and instil respect.

"Tolerance can take the offense out of a debate, and indeed instil respect. If I go berserk every time a particular button is pressed, rebels are tempted to press the button, while mischief-makers indeed do so," he said while addressing the IIT Delhi Convocation here.

"But if I do not react predictably, and instead ask button pressers to explain their concerns, rebels are forced to do the hard work of marshalling arguments. So, rebels do not press the button frivolously, while the mischief makers who abound in every group are left without an easy trigger," Rajan said.

He added that tolerance and respect then lead to a good equilibrium where they reinforce each other.