The history of modern Western intellectual life is not very comforting. We end up with Nietzsche’s superman which led to Nazism. We have Marx’s views which lead to totalitarian communist states. We have Freud’s view of mental repression and the impossibility of civilization. We have the next “scientific” view of psychology with Pavlov’s “stimulus and response”. We have Darwin’s principle of evolution which led to “social Darwinism” and its winner apologetics and eugenics. We have Darwin’s principle of evolution which led to scientific materialism, the rejection of any possible spiritual or non-material dimension to life. We have truly modern physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and philosophy of science which undermine any possibility of a Newtonian certainty about science or nature, despite Einstein’s pursuit of a grand unifying theory and belief that “God doesn’t play dice with the universe”. We have existentialism which embraces the skeptics’ worst intuitions. We have professional philosophy which rejects metaphysics (fundamental nature, big picture approach) and adopts a purely analytical approach which reduces questions to precise language and logic. We have postmodernist philosophers who reject any structure other than the certainty that powerful forces will abuse their powers.
Modern History: Progress and Disintegration
Charles Taylor’s 2007 book “Our Secular Age” attempts to place all of this in perspective.
A “Secular Age” is one in which most individuals “know” that there may or may not be God, purpose, meaning or transcendence in life. A person’s life may be meaningless. The “next best” approach may only be to optimize the individual’s potential. There is “no exit”.
Doubt, skepticism and uncertainty are very powerful forces. Taylor argues that we all live based on implicit paradigms, beliefs, worldviews, assumptions, experiences, intuitions, etc. We are intuitive, social, historical beings. We absorb the beliefs of our culture. We don’t rationally evaluate and choose. About 4 million people are born in the US each year. 9,000 people earn philosophy degrees while 27,000 earn religion degrees annually. 1% of our citizens seriously pursue these questions.
In 1500, Western society was organic, with economics, politics, society and religion integrated into a well understood and accepted whole. Aristotle was “the philosopher”. St. Thomas Aquinas and the scholastics were applying logic to religious topics. History and tradition mattered. Morality and ethics were clearly defined and accepted. The spiritual dimension of nature and life was obvious. The personal Christian God was actively at work in the world. Priests and religious orders pursued perfection. Ordinary people supported the clergy and lived adequate Christian lives.
Modernity changed the Christian church. Luther elevated the role of the individual’s relationship with God, unmediated by clergy, in their local language. Each Church had to manage local politics to survive. Deism evolved as a scientific/rational form of religion.
The roles of economics, politics, society and religion were separated from each other. Social institutions evolved and learned to stand alone. Education, commerce and travel became more important.
Science became a driving force in understanding and controlling nature. It became commercially and politically important.
Individualistic philosophies developed. The “social contract” theory of politics was adopted and implemented.
Secular institutions were defined and provided services that replaced the role of the Church.
Today
We live in a world of skepticism, fear/insecurity, political polarization, subjectivity, tolerance, productivity, consumption, identity, searching, and striving.
The dominant approach of the professional class is deemed “the therapeutic society”. The individual reigns supreme. The individual is created to pursue his destiny, capabilities, potential or goal. The goal of the individual is to find/define and pursue this potential. Creativity, self-expression and authenticity are highly valued.
Taylor says that individuals seeking to pursue their capabilities still need feedback from their communities to validate their choices and results. They attempt to be radically independent but cannot do so.
There is a “tipping point” phenomenon at work. As science/technology became more insightful/effective, it became the default explanation for everything. In 1802 the mathematician Laplace replied to Napoleon’s question about the role of God in his latest book, “I have no need for that hypothesis”. The myth of the brave/heroic scientist/thinker overcoming social conventions and religious authorities was created and effectively employed. The false opposition of “science versus religion” was promoted.
The reduction in church attendance, membership and participation that occurred in Western countries along with education, urbanization and economic growth was deemed the “secularization hypothesis”: individuals automatically lost religion as civilization developed.
Our society promotes personal freedom, liberty and individual choice as the highest values. Our politicians and leaders encourage individualism. Economic production, success and consumption are elevated. The “free market” system becomes the model for social choices. Personal choices without limits are promoted. Government or social restrictions on individual choices are considered intrusions into sacred personal spaces.
Analysis and Hope
Taylor outlines the history of how our default worldview has changed. There has been continued growth and success of “instrumental logic” in science/technology and business/economics. The power of efficient causes alone in shaping and improving material well-being and possibilities is obvious. Individualism has grown to become a new God, with identity becoming all important. The possibility of “science” and “logic” explaining more and more and more has grown.
Taylor argues that we have assumed away the spiritual dimension of life. The progress of science has no bearing on important religious or philosophical questions. What is the meaning of life? Where did the world come from? Does the world have a purpose? How do scientific laws really work? How do I live a good life? How do I live in community? What is a good form of government? Why am I conscious? Why can I comprehend how the world works? What is beauty? What is religious feeling? Where does love come from?
Taylor argues that the scientific revolution lured us into believing that there are answers like Newton’s law of gravity and Euclid’s proofs of geometry that apply to all questions. We “rationalized” Christianity to make it “respectable”, creating Deism, but more importantly assuming that scientific rationality and logical proof is the only valid measure of success. Christian apologists sought to “prove” God and religious teachings. Religious leaders sought to modernize religion, stripping it of “irrational” content, deconstructing its content, evaluating it through literary and historical analysis, proving its merit through its application to social needs. Taylor says that this was a centuries long diversion.
Taylor highlights the failure of science and philosophy to be “fully rationalized”. Modern science cannot be reduced to a simplistic logical system beginning with a few assumptions and logically developing all results. Science is rational but not logically bullet-proof. It includes many features that are not “logical”. Science at very small and very large scales is strange and mysterious. Scientific disciplines use different methods and are sometimes incompatible. Emergent systems can be described but not in classic logical terms. Philosophy is used to analyze and deconstruct but it has failed to construct better answers.
Taylor and his popularizer, James K.A. Smith, emphasize that the spiritual dimension continues to “intrude” into everyday life for believers, skeptics, agnostics and atheists. Despite the progress of science, the secularization of society and the powerful influence of a “secular age” background worldview, spiritual experiences, ideas, thoughts, insights, longings, perceptions and behaviors don’t “go away”. They seem to be an intrinsic part of human life.
Like many modern Christian apologists, Taylor recommends that we reject the scientific method, logical proof, and Occam’s razor reductionist bias as the measure of religious/philosophical ideas, systems, processes, experiences and communities. He proposes that we consider “all available evidence”. What theory best matches the evidence? No theory is objectively true or fully comprehensive. Theories provide insights and answers to both common and difficult religious/philosophical questions. They are imperfect. Philosophical criticism indicates that there are trade-offs and shortcomings in all such systems. Taylor notes that it is only with the success of the scientific revolution that we have the audacity to expect to understand and explain everything about the universe including our religious/philosophical questions.
For many, Taylor’s conclusions seem like lukewarm apologetics. There is no certainty. We can’t trust science. We experience religion, so it must exist.
Taylor and his supporters argue that he is incorporating the best of human history and thought into his analysis and framework. We mistakenly believed that we could find reductionist answers to our questions. After 500 years of truly amazing scientific and economic progress we now know that this is impossible or very unlikely. We still have our religious/philosophical questions and experiences. They won’t go away. As with C.S. Lewis, he defines these explanations as myths or stories using human tools to provide insights into systems beyond our direct comprehension. The difference is that Christianity is a “true myth”.
We can choose to pursue a rational, reductionist, materialistic, non-spiritual solution. We can embrace a fully defined, literalist religious faith. Or, we can engage with a mysterious Christianity that provides essential answers that seem imperfect according to our modern conceptions of logic and rationality.
Exodus 3:14 New International Version
God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
Carmel, Indiana is a 46 square mile city of 105,000 people a dozen miles north of downtown Indianapolis.
As 28-year mayor Jim Brainerd once quipped, “We don’t have mountains, valleys or an ocean, but neither does Paris”. How could an Indiana city create such a natural reputation for success?
Carmel is a suburb of Indianapolis, so it has benefitted from suburban growth since the 1950’s.
Indianapolis, like Columbus, Nashville, and Minneapolis, has been a heartland growth winner.
Indiana is a low cost of living location, benefitting from being the “Crossroads of America”.
Indiana is a low tax and low government services state, with expectations that government needs are best addressed at the lowest possible level.
Indianapolis has no natural geographical constraints to growth or limits that raise the cost of living. The Northwest Territory’s 6×6 mile townships expand in all directions.
Most metro areas have a preferred direction for wealth and growth. Indianapolis chose to develop straight north along Meridian Street across the Marion County border into Carmel by the 1950’s.
This branding and “first mover” advantage is common among America’s 50 large metro areas. Carmel benefitted from competitors in NW Zionsville limiting development to preserve the small village character, NE Geist having limited lakefront property and NNE Fishers limited main highway access.
While Indiana today is considered a deeply red state, historically it was more purple, with heavy manufacturing/worker counties balanced by rural/farming counties. Indianapolis was a local government innovator, creating county wide Unigov in 1970 to combine the city and county, preserving Republican dominance. Indianapolis has elected centrist mayors for 6 decades: Lugar, Hudnut, Goldsmith, Peterson, Ballard and Hogsett.
Jim Brainerd served as mayor from 1996-2024 as a centrist/practical Republican in the Governor Daniels mode, focusing on local economic issues and needs, without being distracted by national wedge issues.
Carmel understood the power of zoning and used this to adopt overlay zones to guide denser and higher quality development in the Meridian corridor, Range Line Road, Arts & Design District and Midtown areas. Politicians understood that Carmel was a valuable place for developers and set limits to ensure that the community would also benefit from growth.
Mayor Brainerd used the powers of the Indiana strong-mayor system to create tax increment finance (TIF) districts to capture the future property tax values of areas to allow for leveraged government investments in infrastructure.
Mayor Brainerd and the city council also allowed the city to borrow at advantageous interest rates to finance other investments to promote the city’s growth.
Like many governments, Carmel offered tax incentives to attract corporate developments.
Mayor Brainerd found that roundabouts were a local, traffic, aesthetic, environmental, safety, time, and cost winner. He prodded the city the install 150 roundabouts.
Mayor Brainerd incorporated a small investment into the arts and not-for-profits into the annual budgeting cycle. Local citizens applauded.
Mayor Brainerd chose to invest in community art, statues downtown and in the roundabouts. Again, the community applauded.
Journalistic histories emphasize the role of Mayor Brainerd in “transforming” the sleepy suburb into a new urbanist “edge city” and nationally recognized place to live. Mayor Brainerd deserves credit as a visionary and catalytic leader who delivered the goods for 3 decades. Yet the Carmel story begins before him and continues today. It relies upon political, government, community and volunteer leaders who believed that Carmel could deliver the highest possible quality of life for its residents and neighbors. I point to a few representative leaders who deserve credit.
Carmel has invested resources in making it a safe city. School safety officers requiring a separately approved levy. Formal quality standards for police and fire departments. County level emergency preparedness investments.
Carmel public schools are consistently rated among the best in Indiana. Critics say this reflects the wealthy socioeconomic status of the community. “The proof is in the pudding”.
Indiana schools are mainly funded through a statewide formula. Indiana property taxes are capped as a percentage of value. Carmel residents have chosen since 2010 to approve property tax levies to exceed the formula and the standard maximums. Recent state tax, budget and formula changes are driving new requests.
Carmel library has moved twice, expanded its main location and added a branch location. Carmel library has been nationally ranked for its activity, circulation, programs and financial investments.
Carmel aspires to be a diverse community. It has been a primary corporate transfer and health care professional destination, welcoming non-Hoosiers and preparing residents and students for national and global roles.
Carmel has more economic diversity than some expect, with many middle-class and young adult neighborhoods south of 116th Street and within the boundaries of Keystone Parkway and Meridian/US 31.
Density is good. Commercial property tax base is good. Employers are good. These 3 statements seem trivial and obvious, but many “professional class” suburbs reject them, wishing to live in an idyllic rural paradise. Carmel has always embraced manufacturing, offices, retail, and apartments.
The Meridian Corridor overlay district promoted dense development and prevented strip malls. The Range Line Road overlay district required dense and multi-use development. The early overall zoning plan encouraged economic development in the central 8 square miles of the city, within the 46 square mile footprint.
Carmel employed TIF districts and public borrowing to attract investors to its central city developments.
It employed the usual tax abatement tools to encourage major corporations to locate within Carmel.
By decade, Carmel’s population grew from 1950 to 2026 in thousands as 2, 10, 20, 33, 43, 65, 83, 99, 105. 4 decades of 10,000 population growth followed by 4 decades of 15,000 population growth. Growth may slam shut in 2030-2035. Growth provides advantages to utilities, realtors, developers, construction firms, media, and governments.
Lacking mountains or oceans, the community has developed events for every month of the year to celebrate. Many events were created, grown and managed by small groups of individuals with background support from the city government.
Carmel has leveraged its existing natural neighborhoods to develop a sense of place. Real estate developers have built traditional 50-300 home subdevelopments and filled in spaces. The city focused on the central city neighborhoods to define the “arts & design district” and midtown. The parks district has built and enhanced regional and neighborhood assets.
Carmel began with advantages as a growing suburb north of Indianapolis’s historic Meridian-Kessler neighborhood. Political leaders made wise decisions for several decades. Carmel’s measures of success have gained national recognition. However, the character of the community and quality of life is driven by the personal responsibility that citizens take for themselves and their neighbors as symbolized by the moms who built the first park and the dads who started the youth athletics programs.
A set of behaviors that recognize differences and build mutual respect.
A tool to deliver productive results through Civil discourse.
Comprised of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management, communications, growth and problem-solving skills and behaviors.
A habit.
A choice (intentional).
Based on the universal values of human dignity, respect, acceptance, responsibility, constructiveness, intentionality and public-spiritedness.
A moral system but not a replacement for religious, philosophical or political systems.
Viral; a virtuous/vicious cycle.
Nonpartisan.
Ecumenical.
Teachable.
A blend of thinking, feeling and doing.
A social norm.
Consistent with human nature.
Actionable.
An aspirational ideal, never fully achieved.
A builder of trust, community, common good and institutions.
A self-maintaining social system.
Supported by world religions and secular humanism.
Informed by modern social science.
Practiced in personal, work, play, church, sports, media, union, culture, service, government and political environments.
Required for democracy.
Inspired by self-interest, situations, personality, identity, civic duty, patriotic duty, cultural duty, religious duty and philosophical duty.
NOT too simple, complex, moderate, extreme, soft, hard, liberal or conservative.
A solution to our challenges of political polarization, selfish media, radical individualism, limits of human nature, skepticism, our secular age, imperfect myths and insecurity.
Civility is based upon 7 values: human dignity, respect, acceptance, responsibility, constructiveness, intentionality and public-spiritedness. These values have been identified as the foundation of Civility because they work together with the 7 Civility behaviors to deliver results while recognizing differences and building mutual respect through civil discourse.
Deliver Results
The values strongly drive the 7 sets of behaviors.
The values and behaviors produce the desired results.
Society is more productive.
Civility behaviors become habits, valuable assets.
People are engaged, their capabilities employed.
Creative and cooperative solutions are generated.
Build Relations
Build communications skills.
Provides a safe environment which encourages interactions.
Creates a positive climate and expectations.
Promotes positive expectations and attitudes.
Reduces social tensions and anxiety.
Promotes trust in people, groups and institutions.
Builds a sense of teamwork, community and common purpose.
Adequate
Addresses real differences of experiences, interests, power and views.
Sustainable
Encourages consideration of long-term consequences.
Emphasizes the nature of repeated conversations and negotiations.
Inserts the common good as a meaningful objective and factor to consider.
Invests in the process.
Supports the needs of all participants.
Reduce Costs
Minimizes lost participation, ideas, solutions, compromises.
Reduces overall communications, legal and transaction costs.
Discourages destructive discourse, threats and behaviors.
Avoid and resolve conflicts.
Broadly Supported
Historically used by many cultures and traditions.
Consistent with lists of common moral values.
Commonly described by popular and academic writers.
Generally supported by the average person.
Nonpartisan.
Ecumenical, not promoting one religion or denomination.
Broadly Applied
Values and behaviors in family, neighborhood, work, play, church and civic situations.
Support Democracy
Provide moral/community basis for political participation, engagement, voting, funding, service, and legal compliance.
Actionable
Mutually consistent, supportive, connected values and behaviors.
Limited set of values with clear definitions and complementary taboos.
Consistent with human nature, even if requiring education and moral effort.
Values and behaviors can be taught, practiced and improved.
Consistent with the findings of modern social sciences.
Powerful
Values are deeply felt, motivating their adoption, cultivation and application.
Consistent with the virtuous cycle of reinforcement through social interactions.
Intuitive definition and connection with practical and moral life.
Connected with the religious and philosophical vertical dimension of life.
The Vertical Dimension of Experience Supports the Civility Values
All people experience the universe as something much larger, more complex, abstract and mysterious than their direct, personal lives. They try to make sense of the whole and determine their place and meaning. They sense that there are things beyond the materialistic human scale experience. They feel separation and long for a stronger connection with the whole. They experience parts of the larger universe which they cannot fully capture. Love, beauty, change, consciousness, art, music, science, intuitions, mysteries, miracles, myths, stories, awe, infinity, eternity, transcendence, dimensions, time, responsibility, sacred, pure, form, structure, number and mathematics all point to something “more”.
Some identify and experience God, gods, even a personal God. Others see structure, laws, nature, spirits or forces.
The key is the separation of the individual from the universe and the experienced relationship. The individual is not alone. He is connected to the source. He has neighbors who seem to be in the same situation. He experiences vertical and horizontal relationships.
The source has provided life to all men. They are in the same position. They deserve respect.
Men understand something of the universe. They connect with the source. They appreciate the structure. They are self-aware. They exist. Human dignity makes sense.
Men are not the center of the universe. There are many creatures. There are many other men. Variety is everywhere. Men and women differ. Children and relatives differ. Men experience growth, development and change. They expect change and diversity.
Men experience freedom of choice. They appreciate and defend this natural liberty. They believe they have “free will”. They seem to have a consistent “self” to speak with. They have logical capabilities. They can plan and execute.
Men experience logical yes and no. They see opposites. They sense “right and wrong”. They see and punish unfairness. They are socialized by experience, parents and neighbors. They live in a moral universe. Accountability arises from this environment.
Men live in communities. They are subject to the seasons, nature, disease, invaders and the weather. Their lives and fates are intertwined. They produce, learn, play and worship together. They are interdependent. They benefit from trade. Communities transmit culture, history and myths. The public good is self-evident in most human communities.
Man exists. He is self-aware. He experiences pleasure and pain. Nature provides resources. He experiences joy and sorrow. He manages many fears and threats. Yet, he sings and celebrates. He benefits from a positive world view.
In each case, men have natural experiences, vertically connected with nature, the universe, the source of being. This connection provides meaning, certainty, hope and safety. These values are natural values, that can be supported without making specific religious, scientific or philosophical claims.
How the Vertical Dimension Supports Civility: Google AI – April 8, 2026
The vertical dimension of life—often defined as one’s connection to a higher power, transcendent values, or a “higher self”—is deeply connected to civility, as it serves as an internal, ethical anchor that encourages treating others with respect, dignity, and care. While horizontal actions deal with navigating daily, material life, the vertical dimension focuses on inner transformation and accountability to a standard higher than oneself, which is often crucial for fostering public-mindedness and genuine connection with others.
• Foundation for Universal Respect: A vertical orientation provides a basis for recognizing that all individuals possess innate worth and dignity, independent of their social standing or whether one “likes” them. This “internal disposition of the heart” encourages respect for the “other,” ensuring individuals treat people as moral equals.
• Transcending Self-Interest: The vertical dimension cultivates a sense of awe and gratitude (an awe-based approach to the Divine or the cosmos) which encourages us to look beyond our own immediate interests and ego. This shift in consciousness moves people from a “me” focus to an “eco” or “us” focus, which is essential for community building and civility.
• Ethical Accountability: It brings a deeper awareness of the impact of one’s actions on others and fosters responsibility, self-awareness, and self-restraint. This often manifests as a “vertical” obligation to follow moral laws that transcend personal desires, leading to more respectful interaction.
• Disagreement Resolution: Authentic civility, rooted in this dimension, allows individuals to respectfully handle disagreements and navigate differences in public conversation rather than simply avoiding conflict.
Vertical vs. Horizontal Dimensions of Life
• Horizontal Dimension: Refers to the visible, life-in-time, material aspects of existence, where one tries to improve circumstances or “fix” things. It can sometimes lead to superficial politeness or a “socially controlled” adherence to norms rather than genuine care.
• Vertical Dimension: Focuses on the “Being” or the internal, non-physical plane of life, which brings peace and allows for better navigating of the horizontal plane.
In summary, the vertical dimension acts as the “inner soil” that nourishes civic behavior (public-mindedness), ensuring that interactions with others are grounded in deeper, shared principles of respect rather than just superficial politeness.
Civility faces many challenges to survive and thrive. It possesses many advantages.
Conceptually
They say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. The umbrella terms liberal and conservative are inadequate to political dimensions and individuals. Despite DEI politics, most Americans support diversity, equal opportunity and acceptance. Thought leaders realize there is no alternative to Civility for a modern society to function. We define “certainty” for science and religion. We have post-Newton insights in the last 100 years. We understand “victim” language. We can help ourselves and our friends to reject this burden.
Logically
Civility encourages us to accurately diagnose the current situation. Despite political extremism, instrumental logic and facts rule the scientific and business worlds. Civility is designed to be nonpartisan, allowing political parties to embrace this approach to effectiveness. The 7 Civility values are equally attractive to liberals and conservatives. Civility is able to promote public-spiritedness without leaning left.
Morally
The Civility behaviors are mostly consistent with human nature. The rest can be taught. In a time of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, focusing first on human dignity is wise. While Civility focuses on behaviors and a few values, it can be driven by more emotional values. We better understand the benefits and limits of tolerance and its role as a social value. Most people see the costs of extreme individualism to themselves, family, neighbors and coworkers. By highlighting the habit of skepticism, we can greatly reduce its poisonous impact.
Progressively
The track record of modern society solving problems is very strong. Our world has an increasing experience base of finding both/and descriptions and solutions. We do have a long track record of reducing our perceptions of “the other” as a threat. We have more experience outsourcing government functions to reduce the sense of intrusion. The change is based on incremental improvements rather than heroic efforts and projects. Modern communications capabilities can effectively promote moderate, complex, less emotional positions. As Robert Putnam documents in The Upswing, we have revised our social institutions before.
Powerfully
Civility is supported by a super majority of independents, Republicans and Democrats. Corporations need Civility to operate complex organizations. They will recruit, train and reward Civility. Civility embraces a wide diversity or political and religious beliefs. Civility is supported by many churches, businesses, professions, universities and governments. Leaders of Europe’s more secular democracies strongly embrace Civility. There is no fundamental opposition to Civility by China’s leaders. Civility is strongly supported by the major religions. The 7 Civility values are supported by all major religions and philosophies. Unquestioned religion or scientism are dead. Better insights and communication are possible. The Catholic church can strongly support Civility. Protestant churches can support Civility without overemphasizing “social justice”.
Politically
Societies have always had political differences. Our differences are no greater than in history. In the American 2-party system, the center normally has extra political weight. Political parties, groupings, ideologies and polarization naturally change through time. We have 50 years of post-60’s social policy debates. We know that we will always disagree on some things. The diversity of states allows the benefits of federalism to accrue with better policies emerging. The reliance of the classical liberal political model on shared values is better recognized. The unintended consequences of politically extreme policies become obvious in time.
The impossibility of extreme political parties/factions delivering on their promises becomes apparent. Ironically, liberals have become “cultural conservatives”, promoting a 250-year-old approach. Liberals increasingly see the value of allowing states to determine social and economic policies. Some liberals see that 100% enforcement of social policies drives strong opposition for little benefit. Broadly defined insecurity has become a political priority that will generate nonpartisan solutions.
Educationally
Modern cognitive science, counselling and organizational behavior are highly effective. By defining Civility as a set of behaviors, we make it teachable, actionable and leverageable.
The Civility lessons are straightforward, allowing many to lead workshops. Solid Civility lesson plans can be developed in many places and used everywhere. We can fine-tune and package hundreds of Civility training exercises to serve everyone. Organizations and individuals can rely upon counselling, groups and training. We can greatly improve our school curriculums to teach Civility as a solution to real differences. Civility is practiced and improved in all arenas of life. Improvements are leveraged.
Virally
In a highly specialized world, there are more opportunities to apply Civility “win-win” principles. Civility is not an “all or nothing” set of behaviors. Incremental progress is normal. The more challenging Civility behaviors can be practiced in safer, local environments. Local expectations of Civility allow all individuals to apply and grow these behaviors. Civility can be practiced in any environment without permission from anyone. Civility skills, values, beliefs can be developed and applied without any approvals. The virtuous cycle of Civility applies at levels. Good behavior or feedback drives more good behavior. The practice of Civility generates “positive externalities” for others. The state should support it. The practice of Civility provides a role model for others to emulate. Social norms are very powerful. Most people learn them implicitly. Civility behaviors can become habits which then apply without thought or effort.
Beneficially
Every person can serve as a Civility ambassador, champion or “civiliteer”. High-level Civility skills are personally and professionally highly valuable. The Civility emphasis on self-awareness and values clarification can improve quality of life. Humans have much in common and can learn this. Americans have much in common. We understand “human nature” deeply, so can adjust to leverage strengths and patch weaknesses. Americans are proud of their political system and will invest in Civility to preserve it. Civility’s focus on human dignity supports the modern high importance of personal identity. As individuals seek validation of their identities, Civility can help to facilitate good conversations. Our greatly improved understanding of behavioral economics provides new policy opportunities.
Summary
The modern approach to improving and installing Civility as a major social norm is audacious, yet it has great support.
The 1960s are considered a massive cultural shock because they marked a rapid, comprehensive rejection of traditional 1950s social norms, fueled by a booming youth population, the Vietnam War, and mass media. It shattered established authority in politics, race relations, gender roles, and lifestyle, shifting Western society toward personal liberation. Google AI – April 6, 2026
Key Factors Behind the 1960s Cultural Shift:
Counterculture and Lifestyle: A youth-driven movement rejected conventional morality, embracing “free love,” casual sex, drug use, communal living, and distinct fashion changes like the miniskirt and long hair.
Civil Rights and Equality: The struggle for racial equality transformed society, punctuated by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965, alongside the rise of second-wave feminism.
The Vietnam War and Anti-War Protests: The war, amplified by television, created a “credibility gap” between government claims and reality, sparking intense youth protest and mistrust of authority.
Technological and Social Changes: The proliferation of television created a unified media experience, while the advent of “the Pill” significantly altered sexual norms and gender dynamics.
Musical and Artistic Explosion: Music, particularly rock and folk, became a vessel for social critique and the unification of a new generation (e.g., Woodstock).
A “Bridge” Decade: The 1960s acted as a transition from the conservative, black-and-white media era to the more permissive, colorful “modern” world, with technological advancements like early satellite communication and computers.
This period is unique because it forced a shift from traditional institutional authority (church, family, state) to personal authenticity, empathy, and moral sensitivity.
The decline in Civility is intertwined with other changes in society. We’ll share the 6 root causes. Fortunately, the recovery of Civility can help to address each of the 6 root causes of decline. Radical individualism, human nature, skepticism, our secular age, imperfect myths and insecurity.
There has been a groundswell of interest in addressing the loss of Civility in modern society. Members of both parties, young and old, rural, urban and suburban have begun to engage on this important topic. Civility is treating others with respect, especially when you disagree. It is a mental attitude, a habit, a character trait, a set of actions. Civility is a key to effective life in community, especially for participating in a democratic government.
Yet, I will argue that the loss of Civility is a symptom of much larger challenges rather than a root cause.
Our current challenging social and political situation is driven by the root causes of individualism, skepticism secularism, inadequate myths, human nature and insecurity. In a word: negativity. Civility embraces constructiveness, intentionality and public-spiritedness as clearly “positive” values. It is also based upon the “positive” values of human dignity, respect and acceptance. Is it reasonable to be so positive in a time of negativity driven by politicians, the media and our fellow citizens? The answer is “yes”. We have chosen to emphasize our challenges rather than our accomplishments. Those who pursue Civility need to be aware of the reality of modern progress, conditions in all areas of life and realistic opportunities for change.
Overall Good News
Improvements in all areas of life since the 1976 bicentennial are amazing!
Civility is a social norm and a set of behaviors based upon a set of shared values. We address public morality, the 7 Civility values and their broad support from different belief systems.
Morality
Thought leaders increasingly embrace the need for some kind of commonly held public morality to replace the historical background of Christianity and Western civilization.
Respect, responsibility, honesty, compassion and fairness comprise one set of values to consider.
Rabbi Sacks provides historical context of the ideas that have led to an “I” focused culture, outlines the symptoms of a weakened “We” culture, and provides some insights as to what can be done. He combines a politically and economically moderate view with a conservative social perspective.
“We will have to rebuild families and communities and voluntary organizations. We will come to depend more on networks of kinship and friendship. And we will rapidly discover that their very existence depends on what we give as well as what we take, on our willingness to shoulder duties, responsibilities, and commitments as well as claiming freedoms and rights.”
Teddy Roosevelt: “The first duty of an American citizen, then, is that he shall work in politics; his second duty is that he shall do that work in a practical manner; and his third is that it shall be done in accord with the highest principles of honor and justice.” The citizen should be like his “man in the arena”, fully engaged in important matters.
Brooks offers 15 solutions. Live for holiness. Fight selfishness. Use your heroic capacity to struggle against external and internal challenges. Humility is the first virtue. Pride is the central vice. Struggle against sin and for virtue. Purposely build character skills, habits, experiences and preferences. Focus on the long-term, permanent attributes of life. Seek help in building character. Recognize the U-shaped pattern of falling, evaluating, feeling and accepting grace and recovering. Quiet the self enough to listen and defeat weaknesses and temptations. Aim for a practical wisdom built upon experience and history rather than a perfect ideology, theology or philosophy. Organize work around a “vocation” and do your best. Define leadership as finding “a just balance between competing values and competing goals”. Embrace the path of becoming better in your vocation and better as a person. That is the opportunity we are given.
Good News 