Chris Walsh at the George W. Bush Institute:
Imagine someone who believes something you find outrageous, foolish, or even dangerous.
The idea of giving that person your valuable time and listening to them seems counterintuitive, but you do it. Now, despite stark disagreement, imagine you also recognize their inherent human dignity and respond to them with grace instead of derision or scorn. Finally, you depart each other’s company in good humor while still disagreeing over some big issues.
That thought experiment may sound daunting, or even pollyannish, but it’s the price of healthy American democracy. Respectful disagreement provides a preferable alternative to political violence. But it also serves as a catalyst for fostering relationships, overcoming hyperpolarization, and cultivating the best ideas for solving everyday problems. And it’s a practice that requires our eternal dedication.
This is the charge of civility.
“The determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos. And this commitment, if we keep it, is a way to shared accomplishment,” as President George W. Bush put it in his first inaugural address – which is worth your time if you haven’t read it.