Introduction
The act of showing respect to someone with politeness and courtesy is civility. Civility comes from the Greek word civilitas, which means the readiness of people to offer themselves for the benefit of the city (Hayashi & Toh, 2020). When it is uncomfortable and challenging to care for someone’s community and ensure that every individual in that society flourishes, it is civility. Civility is not about what you are, but it is about what you do, especially with your relationship with other people. Civility can also mean protesting against injustice and oppression, even if it means calmly disorganizing a systematic order.
Being able to tell the connection between you and the modern world, taking responsibility for your actions is civility. Ringer says that it may not be good manners to raise your voice during a protest, but if it is the only way your pleas may be heard, it is civility. Civility rotates around three elements: self-control when relating to others, respect, and interaction with strangers. In a group, mutual dialogues, sharing of ideas, and appreciating other people’s views are civility.
Civility in an Online Setting
Being civil in an online setting means showing regard for someone’s opinion regardless of your contradicting view. Internet users should respect other people’s cultural beliefs and customs while in an online environment. To be able to respond to other user’s thoughts and situations online, you should pay attention to the people and the world around you. Being civil online enhances one’s knowledge and also improves their morale to explore more. For example, appreciating a new musician and politely telling them about the areas that need improvement will enhance their morale, and they will be able to work hard next time.
When politicians can maintain civility online, they can gain people’s trust and respect. Incivility is present on the internet because people want to revenge on others. Other malicious individuals decide to be uncivil to amuse themselves while watching others get frustrated. Competition is another reason why people tend to be uncivil. Some individuals may feel insecure about others success in the same field they are in; to get to the same level, they release negativity about that person.
The web may contribute to incivility because, in the perspective of an unaccustomed technological innovations, individuals will depend heavily on cognitive shortcuts, also recognized as cognitive biases, to establish judgments. As a result, when discussing online conversations, mental shortcuts could be used. In such cases, the engagement may cause some people to misunderstand or misrepresent the details available, and they may react spitefully by using neglectful and excessive profanity, making others less receptive. Consequently, other users may react to such incidents by acting rudely or leaving the social media platform.
Curbing Incivility Online
To return civility online, there are some measures that people need to learn. When arguing with someone, debate to learn, rather than to win. Take time to think before responding to someone’s view, and if it is about something that offends you, do not react while still angry. As an individual, if you see people being abusive and cruel, stand up and speak for yourself, but politely and kindly. The most important of them all is that you should also be careful about how you talk and respond to people (Mulder, 2020).
If you become rude to them, they will do the same to you. Some of the ways to promote online civility include educating the users on the safety measures of using the internet, help children and new internet users how to deal with incivility. Additionally, educate the public that they should not post anything about someone if they cannot say it in person. Being honest, accepting other people’s points of view, controlling one’s emotions, and finding something familiar to agree on will help people avoid heated discussions.
Civility in Healthcare
Civility in healthcare means the willingness of medical officers to interact with the patient, giving them the time they require to voice their problem and strive to find a better solution. While in the health center, one may be attempted to fight or argue with their colleague, but choosing to remain peaceful and calm may improve the situation. Taking time to listen to what the patient has to say will enable a nurse to tell where the problem is, reducing the risk of misdiagnosis.
Try and use polite terms like thank you and please while addressing patients and colleagues. Some associates may be gossiping about some issues or their all-time hobbies, one should avoid such colleagues and avoid reacting violently to any rumor. Accepting one’s mistakes when one has offended another worker or patient is civility, too, and it will help avoid minor conflicts in the institution.
Having a civil discussion in the health care sector means maintaining the proper work ethics and maintaining a good relationship with both other employees in the same institution. Prescribing to a patient correctly and making follow-up for their recovery is being civil. Having a civil discussion in healthcare also refers to listening to a patient’s problem without making funny comments about their status. Health care is an issue that needs urgency when handling clients in critical care.
Some problems need to be addressed by a group of specialists, and to be able to address the issue adequately, they should practice civility amongst them. Some patients need to trust their consultants to open up about their problems. These are individuals who mostly need canceling about issues, and the way the psychiatrists will significantly contribute to the way they share their concerns. Doctors should introduce themselves to their patients, listen to their problems attentively without interrupting them. By being civil, the risk of delayed attendance and misdiagnoses will be avoided.
Summary and Conclusion
Being civil is not a unique ability for specific people, but it is something that anyone can learn. Civility is not what an individual is, but how they handle situations, especially their interaction with people. Being humble, kind, and courteous are some of the characteristics of a civilized person. Before responding, emotional control and thinking are vital when talking to individuals, particularly those whose intentions are to hurt you.
Taking a stand and stopping people who speak ill of you is civil, but it should be done in a polite manner. Raising your voice when fighting for human rights is being civil if that is the only way the party concerned will hear you. It is also necessary to be respectful with other people because being rude to them will make them impolite to you in return. Being uncivil to someone will kill that person’s morale, and reduce their self-esteem, which may affect them negatively.
Advice to Internet Users
Many things occur on the Internet; some people do their businesses online, especially in marketing their products. A substantial amount of information is also found on the crucial internet, although some may be unimportant (Stockemer, 2018). The internet is a source of livelihood for most people, so it is essential to note how one treats other online users. People should refrain themselves from posting any information on the internet about someone if they cannot provide that same evidence to the person physically. People need to be civil when dealing with others because different individuals react inversely to information.
References
Hayashi, F., & Toh, Y. (2020). Mobile Banking Use and Consumer Readiness to Benefit from Faster Payments. The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Economic Review. Web.
Mulder, A. (2020). You Can Talk about Your Cat, but You Can Also Talk about Your God: Witnessing in Hermeneutical-Communicative Worldview Education. Religious Education, 116(2), 157-169. Web.
Stockemer, D. (2018). The internet: An essential tool to strengthening electoral integrity. Government Information Quarterly, 35(1), 43-49. Web.