Over the past decade, as I researched and wrote, “The Soul of Civility,” I spoke with many people across North America and the UK who had a keen interest in how civility can bridge our social, cultural, and political divides. Despite that experience, I am still blown away by the intense response the publication has created.
However, I shouldn’t be surprised. As Eric Adler at the Front Porch Republic reminds us, “Incivility is as old as humanity itself.”
As we witness this outpouring of interest in this topic we are reminded that the very desire for conversations that are fraught with the potential for incivility is just as old.
And it isn’t just the conversations that we need. As I point out in my Western Standard article, “Civility — the duties of citizenship — sometimes requires disobedience.”
During my chat at The Art of Manliness podcast pointed out, “Civility ensures the health of democracy”.
True civility is required whether we are contemplating civil disobedience or simply having Thanksgiving dinner with our extended family. Both require the “thought-provoking conversation” we discuss in the Intercollegiate Studies Institute article, “How to Navigate Conflicting Social Norms to Build Cultures of Trust.”
John Hood writes in the Carolina Journal that at the start of each North Carolina Leadership Forum, they strive to build that trust right out of the gate. “Fostering constructive engagement across political differences is possible only after building rapport.”
Building trust and rapport will require both civility and politeness, and I discuss those differences in a podcast with Matt Lewis.
I hope you will join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #TheSoulOfCivility.
I look forward to reading your comments!
Warmest Regards,
Lexi
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- we can return back to the roots of 'songlines' and 'dreaming tracks' to navigate.