https://www.cml.org/home/topics-key-issues/civility-starts-here
Our Situation
The practice of civility is declining. But we must be hopeful! The grass roots counter-revolution to rebuild Civility has begun. We must not be discouraged. The United States started 250 years ago as an experiment in representative democracy based on universal ideals. It has succeeded against long odds. At the 1787 constitutional convention, Ben Franklin was asked what form of government was being formed. He replied, “a republic, if you can keep it”. In 1852 as the nation battled over slavery and “states’ rights”, Wendell Phillips noted that “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”.
The US was formed after religious wars had ripped Europe apart and the central rule of kings, landed wealth, nobles and state churches proved inadequate to the challenges and aspirations of modern men and women. It was founded on new principles of individual rights and limited central power. It was not based on history, religion, military power, race, soil, elites, class or wealth. This abstract foundation has been a great asset through time, but it requires citizens to understand and fill their key roles.
Christianity, western culture, New England myths, cultural and educational institutions, patriotism, American exceptionalism, local governments, inertia, mass media and public intellectuals all encouraged Americans to fulfill their citizenship duties: to vote, monitor politics, set and enforce candidate expectations, uphold the constitution and rule of law, obey the laws, pay taxes, serve in the military, sacrifice for the nation, serve on juries, and conduct themselves in a Civil manner.
The cultural revolution of the 1960’s and the Reagan revolution of the 1980’s undercut these forces. Each individual was encouraged to think and act for himself. Individuals welcomed the new freedom to “express yourself”. Civic duties and civility declined through time. Left and right argued about the causes of the very apparent decay of civilization but no new solutions or Civility norms emerged.
Cole Porter’s 1934 “Anything Goes” viewpoint ruled. If we couldn’t agree on political issues, then we could at least agree to be tolerant of all different viewpoints. This was the modern way. Liberals elevated “tolerance” to become a supreme virtue. Liberal intellectuals confirmed that no central values, virtues, character or opinions were needed to support the political state. The fear of conservative, religious, or wealthy domination of culture, economics and politics reinforced this position. Main Street and Wall Street conservatives accepted the more socially moderate/liberal positions of the modern world. They celebrated economic growth, capitalism and the consumer society.
Philosophical and religious conservatives disagreed. The perceived slide towards tolerance, radical subjectivity and atheism was unacceptable. Social and religious conservatives doubled down on traditional views. They became more radical and non-tolerant. They embraced and then captured the Republican party. Small town, rural, working class, economically at-risk Americans saw a meritocratic, global, elitist nation that conspired against their interests. They also embraced the Republican party as the Democratic party proclaimed universal values and prioritized new special interests.
In 1990 Newt Gingrich demonstrated that polarized politics was very effective in the modern age. Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama tried to find a “third way” to triangulate and recapture the center but while they could win elections, they could not really change the polarized culture. Donald Trump embraced the polarized model with great success. The need for “Civility” was not part of his world view. Many in this newly defined party agreed with his win/lose, realpolitik, scorched earth view of politics.
Despite this political situation, most Americans continue to believe in civility. The threats to our system have prompted many people to become more active in politics and to support the core values and behaviors of Civility.
Inspired Civility
The counter-revolution to restore Civility as a core American value and set of behaviors is now well under way. Will it work? Why will it work?
Civility is a set of behaviors that recognizes differences and builds mutual respect. Civility is based upon the 7 commonly held values of human dignity, respect, accepting others, responsibility, public spirit, intentionality and constructiveness.
Civility is a social norm that influences behavior. It is a set of practices, skills, habits and behaviors. Civility requires self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management skills. It also requires communications, personal growth and problem-solving skills. This is a very heavy package of skills requiring a lifetime of personal investments. Yet, it is required for our representative democracy. Why would any individual choose to make this investment?
Passionate Humans
1 Corinthians 13. If I speak in tongues of men or angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol.
Civility as a purely abstract, technical, secular, efficient, professional, dry, thin concept cannot win in the modern world. Civility must spring from the hearts of men and women. The values, education, steps, content and behavior of Civility alone are simply not enough. What will attract and engage modern individuals into making Civility a passionate priority? Why will the Civility counter-revolution win?
Humans are motivated by self-interest and specific situations but mainly by a passionate sense of duty.
Self-interest
In modern America, self-interest may be first!
- Personal benefits
Practicing Civility provides 15 benefits, primarily improved communications and conflict resolution skills, better personal and professional relations and personal well-being.
2. Personal growth. Civility’s focus on self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management, communications, growth and problem-solving drives personal growth. It is a great fit for the implicit modern philosophy of self-expression and Maslow’s top-level goal of self-actualization.
3.Local environment. Civility values and behaviors can help individuals to make their local environments more productive, effective and Civil. One individual can use these tools to improve their local environment.
4. Benevolent self-interest. Civility has inherent spillover or externality effects. Individuals who invest in civility sometimes aim to influence others and local communities to become more Civil for the good of the community. Individuals feel good about promoting these changes.
Situation
Sometimes the situation alone calls for an obvious response. We have such a situation today. Our society is at risk, and we fear the consequences of a downward spiral. We have the tools, knowledge and agency to prevent this. We must respond.
- Opportunity. Civility tools are widely accessible. The cognitive and behavioral sciences have grown tremendously in the last half century. Individuals learn and apply various Civility tools at all stages of their lives.
2. Consequence of Failure. Americans know about the “Decline and Fall of Rome”. They witnessed two world wars, a nuclear cold war and its end. They learned that Francis Fukayama’s proclamation of the end of history in 1992 was premature. Civilization is a precious thing. It faces many threats today. Combatting the possible failure of Western civilization is a worthwhile endeavor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_the_Decline_and_Fall_of_the_Roman_Empire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_History_and_the_Last_Man
3. Generational Responsibility. “The Greatest Generation” has earned its rest. The “Baby Boomers” have dominated the last 75 years. We received “Western Civilization”, won the “cold war”, embraced individualism and expanded rights and freedoms. But we abandoned the cultural norms of civility. We have an opportunity to restore them in a better form with greater effectiveness without restricting individual freedoms.
4. Agency. We inhabit a “mass society” where global trade, banking systems, the United Nations, judges, lobbyists, politicians, the media, advertising, corporations, lawyers, banks, insurance companies, universities, computers, systems, processes and artificial intelligence seem to rule. Yet, we prize our individuality, independence, freedom, agency, identities and souls. Civility can be practiced and improved by each individual. No permission is required. We can teach others through our own actions and through education and changes to small communities like families, book clubs, prayer groups and work units. Small changes can have large impacts.
Duty
Civility rests upon 7 values. Human dignity, respect, acceptance and responsibility are broadly supported. Public spirit, intentionality and constructiveness attract less interest from some comprehensive value systems. People embrace, apply and grow such values when they feel a sense of duty., which can come from a variety of sources. Fortunately, Civility can be supported from any of 7 sources of duty.
Our society doesn’t require everyone to have the same religious or political beliefs. It doesn’t require everyone to actively practice Civility. It requires a “critical mass” of individuals who actively practice, improve themselves and promote Civility. We live in a time when we need to be very intentional about growing Civility.
- Civic Duty – Many citizens deeply understand the benefits of living in a democratic society. They support Civility because they understand it is necessary. Civility enables constructive dialogue, supports self-governance, builds trust and social cohesion, promotes effective governance and manages conflicts peacefully.
- Patriotic Duty – Americans are proud of their country’s history of establishing and maintaining a representative democracy as an example for the world. They practice civility to preserve democracy, uphold its founding principles, ensure social stability, and foster national unity and trust.
- Cultural Duty – Individuals live in communities and follow the norms of those communities. The history of Civility sets expectations for continuing to act in a Civil manner. Even in highly individualistic communities, we accept that informal norms, expectations and manners are required to avoid stronger laws, administration and enforcement that would reduce our freedoms. Most individuals are proud of their cultural history and happy to comply. Conservatives naturally honor such history. Many American liberals are also quite proud of the achievements of our society.
- Religious Duty – Many religions support at least some of the 7 Civility core values. Those who believe humans are created in God’s image emphasize human dignity, respect and acceptance. Many religious and ethical traditions teach the “Golden Rule”—to treat others as one wishes to be treated. This principle serves as a direct guide for civil behavior, encouraging empathy, courtesy, and kindness in all interactions. Many religions ask members to “love your neighbor”, and support the welfare of others, including strangers and those who are different. Religious texts and teachings often provide a moral framework that promotes virtues like patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, self-control, and humility. Cultivating these virtues is considered part of a faithful life, which naturally leads to more civil interactions. A sense of humility, derived from the belief that only God can make the final judgment, encourages individuals to tolerate differing views and avoid a condescending attitude toward others.
- Philosophical Duty – Philosophers have always address the core challenge of forming community and governing even though individuals have different views, needs and interests. Hence, they outline governance structures that work to bridge that gap, often overlapping with the values of Civility. Humanism, secular humanism and philosophies of personal growth and expression emphasize the importance of human dignity, the need to give and receive respect and the importance of accepting or celebrating differences. Many philosophies are compatible with the “golden rule” which emphasizes the mutual respect and forbearance required for a healthy society.
- Personality. Individuals with a strong preference for “feeling” versus “thinking” behaviors naturally embrace the Civility values. This can be combined with either a “perceiving”/flexible or “judging”/inflexible approach to the world. Some individuals naturally prioritize responsibility/intentionality or positivity/constructiveness or public spiritedness/belonging.
7. Personal Identity. Many individuals today want to find, define, develop and refine their personal identities. They wish to consciously optimize their human potential. This includes being self-aware, managing themselves, being socially aware and managing relationships, the first 4 Civility behaviors. Individuals who build a secure personal identity are able to interact with others and accept their differences without feeling threatened or the need to resolve such differences. Individuals who have consciously made life choices and experienced personal growth understand that there are different options and views to be considered.
Summary
The practice of Civility is based upon core values like human dignity, respect, acceptance and responsibility. These values are supported by our worldviews. Civility is consistent with the 9 sources of strongly held beliefs. Each can actively and passionately support Civility. We need to rebuild the skills, habits and expectations of Civility. We can confidently look to self-interest, our current situation and the call of duty to make this happen.
Good News 