“A dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot.” ~ Robert A. Heinlein
For the purpose of communicating this content more effectively, I think it is important to understand the meaning of the words I am discussing.
Definitions:
- civics – ˈsɪv ɪks: 1. of or relating to a citizen, a city, citizenship, or community affairs. 2. the study or science of the privileges and obligations of citizens.
- civility – ci·vil·i·ty: 1. acting in a civilized conduct, courtesy, politeness. b. a polite act or expression.
The Civic Story
Most people have either owned, seen, or heard of the popular car manufactured by Honda called the Civic. The name Civic was decided on because it was a car designed for the people, a car designed for everyone at a time when the world seemingly was being upended.
The Honda Civic was launched in 1972. At that time the highly controversial Vietnam war which had been raging for 7 years was just starting to wind down. It was the beginning of the Watergate scandal, the horrific Munich Olympics massacre, the occurrence of “Bloody Sunday” in Northern Ireland (memorialized by the rock band U2 in their song, Sunday Bloody Sunday), and the shooting of Alabama Governor George Wallace.
Despite all of this unfolding, back in 1972 there was still a sense of civility in politics as well as the way we treated each other.
Fast Forward to 2026
Recently, I saw a very political post from someone on LinkedIn. A colleague of mine commented on it basically communicating that LinkedIn was more of a business platform used for networking and not a social media platform used to spew political opinions like what X, Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram have evolved into. I posted and concurred.
The person who posted is supposedly an author, brand strategist, and marketer, extraordinaire who basically replied with a passive-aggressive comment and then a, “Well then don’t read it!”
My first thought was as a brand strategist, what is this doing to his brand. If this is how you protect your brand, I would never hire you to promote or protect mine. Second, do we really need to take a Professional Networking Site and turn it into just another social media site that totally lacks civility and professionalism because you think people want to hear your one-sided opinion?
Where Did Civility Go?
According to a 2023 American Bar Association (ABA) Survey which stated that civility in today’s society is on the decline and maybe at an all-time low. They go onto say that Social Media is 29% responsible, 24% say the media in general, and 19% blame public officials. Kind of ironic that the folks who pollute highway billboards and television commercials with the message of suing any and everyone to get your share is promoting civility. (I digress)
I live in a 55+ community where many folks treat their precious little dogs better than they treat the volunteer HOA board members, the staff at the restaurants, and each other. And this was supposed to be the Love & Peace Generation of the 1960’s?
Getting Over Ourselves?
I guess we can blame social media, we can blame the media, we can even blame Covid-19, or the politicians. BUT, the reality of the situation is, and yes that is a big butt, it is totally 100% our responsibility as individuals and a community to treat each other in a kind, polite, and courteous manner.
Just because you don’t agree with someone, that doesn’t give you the right to treat them with violence, disrespect, aggression, or rudely.
We are not the center of the universe and the world does not revolve around us! That thinking is as archaic as the idea that the sun revolves around the earth.
5 Things You Can Do To Be More Civil
Here is a list of 5 things you can do to be more civil in a time when it feels like everyone else isn’t:
- Stop reading and posting political junk on social media that promotes division and hatred. In the end it is just your opinion and we all know what they say about opinions. Yes, unfortunately even yours.
- Stop thinking you are right about everything and everyone else is wrong or that your perspective is the only one out there. YOU’RE NOT AND IT’S NOT!
- Stop trying to convince everyone to believe exactly what you believe and START listening to the opinions of others, especially those who think differently than you.
- Start by looking at what is right in the world instead of always focusing on what is wrong. You may want to start by stepping away from your usual news sources and stop wasting hours on social media watching or reading things that solely align with your views.
- Get involved in serving others, whether it is on an HOA Board, a volunteer opportunity at a place where folks are disadvantaged, a nursing home, a shelter, anywhere where you can make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than you.
In The End…
Mahatma Gandhi, once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” In other words, if you want to change the world, start by changing yourself.
We can all whine, moan, and complain about the state of the world or about everything that is wrong with it. That is a choice you get to make 100’s of times each and every day.
In the end, none of that changes anything or makes a bit of difference in changing the world.
If we really want to make the world a better place we must first take responsibility for ourselves and then take responsibility for how we treat each other.
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