Can We Save Society From Rampant Incivility?

By age sixteen, George Washington had copied out by hand, 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior In Company and Conversation.  They are based on a set of rules composed by French Jesuits in 1595.  The first rule is: “Every Action done in Company, ought to be with Some Sign of Respect, to those that are Present.” Increasingly, today, writers and bloggers lament the lost art of civility as evidenced by rude behavior, disrespectful comments, and personal attacks. We just went through a Presidential election, so it is a good time to revisit what I call “The Lost Art of Civility.”

Civility in Politics

One of the most frequent charges against newly elected President Donald Trump is his uncivil behavior. Critics claim he is rude and crude. Still, that did not stop the majority of Americans from voting for him as President. Could it be that American society itself has become more disrespectful and impolite? I’d be hard pressed to answer this in the negative.

The Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics) released the results of the “New Battleground Civility Poll” on September 20, 2023, with the following findings.

• 83% of respondents agree (54% strongly) that compromise and common ground should be the goal for political leaders, and
• 82% agree (54% strongly) that they are tired of leaders compromising their values and beliefs and want leaders who will stand up to the other side.

These results may seem counter-intuitive but should be viewed in light of the following:

• 76% of voters (48% strongly) believe that their side has already compromised enough on the issues most important to them, and
• 71% (31% strongly) agree that they think it is ok for their side to compromise a little more if it means getting something done.

This last point is most important. Voters are tired of nothing getting done in Washington, D.C. Just think about the immigration issue as an example. Civility requires compromise---for the good of the nation.

Civility in the Media

As I have pointed out in my blogs before, the media share a lot of the blame for the lack of civility in society. There are some personalities who play “I gotcha” games on their shows and repeat the unwise comments to an extreme and they don’t spend any time on the apology or moral lesson to be learned. Some commentators personally attack other commentators who do not share their political views. It often seems the attack is for the sake of attacking – nothing more, nothing less. The lesson that is learned by such behavior is that it’s acceptable to attack the other side; even go after someone on a personal level. What ever happened to disagreeing without being disagreeable?

Cancel Culture

I have blogged before that the cancel culture exercised by some can be a manifestation of uncivility. It has redefined how people act towards each other. In the cancel culture, those offended by the comments of another party become denounced online by those who object to the behavior. It's a form of social and cultural boycott driven by "groupthink" meaning the intolerance of others with a point of view that diverges from group norms. Taken to an extreme, it's like excommunicating someone from the community. Gone are the days where people learned how to deal with each other amicably when they have different points of view.

The cancel culture may be harmful to others and their reputations. Those who argue against it make the following points.

• Canceling someone is an attempt to stifle their free speech rights.
• Tweeting about others in anger begets more anger and can lead to more serious practices such as bullying.
• Canceling is an ethical slippery slope; should we cancel everyone with whom we disagree? Where should the line be drawn or is it even possible to do so?

American Bar Association Civility Survey

Civility in the U.S. is worse today compared to 10 years ago, according to 85% of respondents to the American Bar Association’s Survey of Civic Literacy 2023.

A significant number of respondents attribute the decrease in civility to social media, media, and public officials, and believe that family and friends and public officials should be primarily responsible for improving civility in our society.

Just 6% of respondents said that civility in today’s society is better than it was 10 years ago. When asked what is responsible for “eroding civility in our society,” the majority of respondents answered as follows:

• social media (29%),
• media (24%),
• and public officials (19%).

The majority of respondents said that friends/family (34%), public officials (27%), and community leaders (11%) should take the lead in improving civility. Ninety percent said that instilling civility in children begins with parents and family.

Civility in the Workplace

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), politics is now a top driver of incivility at work with 78% of U.S. workers facing poor treatment at work because of their political views. Only 8% of companies said they have policies to handle it. The point is what happens in our outside-the-office-life increasingly affects workplace civility. We need to practice being civil at all times for it to positively affect our dealings with others and enjoyment out of life.

The SHRM survey found that people working in the U.S. experience 202 million acts of incivility each day, with nearly 40% of the uncivil behavior happening at work. Incivility in workplaces can impact employee morale and may be costing U.S. organizations roughly $2 billion per day in absenteeism and diminished productivity, the survey says.

“Fostering civility in the workplace is not just about politeness – it is a strategic business imperative. Companies that prioritize civility are more likely to attract and retain top talent, foster innovation, and achieve long-term success. In doing so, they protect their employees and their reputation for the customers, patients, or clients they serve,” said Johnny C. Taylor Jr., President and CEO of SHRM, in a U.S. News and World Report article.

The SHRM Civility Index survey asked 1,611 U.S. workers across industries how often they experience or witness uncivil behavior in their daily lives and in the workplace.

Of the roughly 40% of respondents who reported witnessing or experiencing incivility at work, 44% said it involved their coworkers. In addition, only a third of workers believe that respectful treatment is the workplace norm. Respondents also said that their workplaces are ill-equipped to handle incivility when it occurs.

Only 25% of U.S. workers believe their managers are effective at handling incivility. Thirty-seven percent said that managers and supervisors often fail to address acts or instances of incivility in the workplace and about a quarter said their managers and supervisors do not notice incivility at work at all.

The consequences of incivility affect workers personally and businesses overall. Survey respondents who reported more incivility in their workplaces were more likely to say they will leave their job in the next 12 months, that they feel indifferent or do not care about doing a good job at work, and that their job often causes them to have physical reactions (e.g., headaches, fatigue). Moreover, 66% of respondents said that incivility reduces productivity and 59% said it causes a decline in employee morale.

Civility and Ethics

Civility cultivates a civic code of decency. It requires us to discipline our impulses for the sake of others. It demands we free ourselves from self-absorption.  Civility is that moral glue without which our society could come apart. By committing to ethical behavior, we can help bring civility back to society. However, we have a long way to go to make it happen!

One way to build a better, more civil society is to advance the cause of greater ethics. We need to think about how our actions affect others in the context of how we would wish to be treated in similar situations. This requires looking inside ourselves to understand the difference between right from wrong; good from bad, and then acting in accordance with our beliefs which should be driven by moral virtues.

Posted by Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on November 13, 2024. You can sign up for his newsletter and learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/.