Civility is more essential than ever if we want our republic, our democracy, to survive. It requires effort and participation from all of us, a self-discipline and commitment to putting the common good above our personal pleasures.
Dr. P.M. Forni, a professor at Johns Hopkins, found that 80% of Americans think civility is a serious social issue…but 99% of those same people say they aren’t part of the problem! Really? Clearly, there’s a disconnect between people’s perception of themselves and reality. Civic virtue became a matter of public interest and discussion during the American Revolution because republics require cultivation of certain beliefs, interests, and habits among its citizens. If such habits are not cultivated, the republic is in danger of falling back into some sort of authoritarian rule, such as a dictatorship.
Under a dictator, citizens essentially have to obey; otherwise they are singled out for condemnation or worse. In a republic, however, rulers are the servants of the public and cannot be coerced. Laws are obeyed for the sake of conscience vs. fear of the ruler’s wrath. Basically, what that means for Americans is that we participate in self-governance. To do so, we must nourish our willingness to sacrifice personal wants for the greater good because we all have different needs, wants, and values. We must communicate with each other.
How do we do this? By promoting the well-being of everyone, including whose who disagree with us on issues. Listen to others’ viewpoints, be respectful of them, be open to other ideas and ways of looking at the issues, maintain self-control, discipline our passions for the sake of our common life, and strive to be rational vs. emotional in our decisions. Obviously, this takes restraint, doing less of what we want and more of what we should.
We are all together on this passenger train called life. Civility is essential for the trip.
by Kathleen Vestal Logan, MS, MA August 6, 2018