Civility ends with rash responses

Steven Covey describes a situation where a man on a bus is letting his children run rampant and the other passengers are getting very angry. Finally one starts to tell him off, and the man looks up at him and tells him that he is sorry but he had just come from the hospital where his wife died. Passengers who had been annoyed now saw the situation through different eyes. They had what is known as a paradigm shift.

Just look at the Jay Cutler situation. People spewed forth with angry epithets and burned shirts before they realized that he had a serious injury.

Once the words or actions are out they cannot be taken back. Many people apologized upon hearing the diagnosis, but unfortunately the hurt and pain had already been done. If only people could take a few seconds to think through their response, if only there was less reaction and more thought put into responses. In other words, engage the brain before the mouth, and it might be possible to have a more gentle society. Our world needs more lights and less judges.

Susan Merle Hoerauf

Prospect Heights