Civility

Rudeness is the new norm, says an article I read the other day.  While this article is about rudeness in politics, politics are not the only place where rudeness occurs.  I must admit that I have been guilty of being rude a time or two.  Okay, well maybe more, but sometimes the situation warrants that kind of behavior, like when a telephone solicitor doesn’t take no for an answer.  I know I should be better at that since I have been doing cold calls from time to time for politicians I am supporting. But in the heat of the moment, I stop thinking.

But the amazing thing of this topic is that Americans are more accepting of rudeness.  According to the article, 21 more percent of people are accepting of rude behavior this year than last.  That to me is the most telling of all.  It is one thing to be rude and quite another to shrug it off as something that happens all the time.  It means we have become complacent with it and that is not a good thing in my eyes.

Civility is the basis of civilization.  Once we lose the ability to communicate with each other in a way that is courteous and respectful, we lose the ability to be human.  We might as well revert back to the wild and be the animals we came from.  Then again dogs are kinder to each other than some people are to each other, so this makes us lower than dogs. Not a good thing for our future.