So much public bad behavior in one week! Where is the civility in our supposedly civilized society? A recent ABC online news report quoted columnist George Will "blaming the current prevailing rudeness on a 'culture of entitlement' where we celebrate 'emotional exhibitionism' on football fields, cable television, and the Internet. . . .We've decided that it is therapeutic to express oneself no matter how coarse one's thoughts, and that whatever is therapeutic is good. . . I think we're seeing a kind of emotional exhibitionism whereby people say, 'I said something ghastly, but I said it honestly and sincerely.' And honesty, sincerity, and authenticity are self-legitimizing" (www.abcnew.go.com , What Do Public Tirades Say About Our Current State of Civility?, 14 September 2009).
What image do we portray when we treat others with coarse disregard and impatient disrespect? Isn't there almost always a more civil and effective way to communicate passion or frustration than the rude and irresponsible way. A quick second or two to pause and think will allow us to choose a civil path.
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Grandma always said, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all." We may not all agree so if you want to be heard, whisper. It works with Kindergartners anyway.
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness, communication is key to our success. Time learning to better communicate is time well spent.