“Ten Tips to Improve Civility”
- Listen to opposing views.
- Seek shared values.
- Acknowledge the legitimacy of opposing positions.
- Identify the problem at-hand, focusing on it rather than on larger conflicts.
- Avoid political caricatures, labels and generalizations that may not truly represent the views of your adversaries.
- Accept that disagreement will exist without giving up your own convictions.
- Clarify what is being said before attacking and/or responding.
- Recognize the value of solutions beyond those offered by traditional party platforms.
- Consider the consequences of what you say and do.
- Hold yourself personally accountable for your own political actions.
Student leaders representing 14 colleges and universities released these 10 tips to improve civility last year in a joint statement designed to guide the public discourse of elected officials and their constituents.
“Ten Tips to Improve Civility” was issued during Pathway to Civility, a national conference of college Democrats, Republicans and independents.
As we head into 2012, a presidential election year, all of us lifelong learners might think about asking members of our Facebook family, neighborhoods, clubs and organizations to commit to following these simple rules.
At the end of each week, we might ask ourselves this question: Did I follow as many rules as I broke? Let's agree that individuals who follow these rules consistently are winners.
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