Societies are struggling more and more to properly construct thriving communities, and communicate with one another. That isn’t an anomaly. Different characters that all reside in one community, and have different beliefs, allow these beliefs to seep into society and cause division. However, the small differences should not jeopardize the entire community as a whole.
The Doe, for instance, is an online anonymous community that promotes discourse through the lens of anonymous content. Anonymity helps put away those differences before and focus only on the subject matter at hand.
Hence, civil discourse is the tool used by the different people within a specific society as a way to find mutual ground, to come together instead of growing apart. To find a certain set of rules to work together, and co-exist with one another.
To find those rules and laws you must first reach common ground through civil discourse. To discuss with your counterpart is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s the only way. Especially if you look at the alternative, which more than often, is violence. When civil discourse fails, violence succeeds.
There are other ways one can progress or push their point of view and usually are aggressive. Protests, for instance, are a form of civil unrest, and a way for people to be heard. However, protests have a way of escalating into violence, especially if discourse before it fails.
History is filled with examples of communities and countries that regressed into civil unrest, or war because discourse at the nationwide stage failed. Or the constituents involved did not care for civil discourse, and instead opted for civil unrest.
However, for communities to truly grow, civil discourse needs to be the path taken. Civil discourse is the best solution to reach a common consensus, i.e. a middle ground. It’s inevitable that differing opinions will exist within one society. But it doesn’t mean combining those opinions to reach a common consensus is impossible. Issues like gun control, abortion rights, and taxes are just some of the issues that divide societies. It’s only natural that these problems exist and that there be a divide around them so that a consensus can be made.
That is why it’s important that civil discourse takes effect in the communities first, and then ultimately the entire country. However, it all starts with the individual. Individuals must learn to respect the other person, their opinions, values, and beliefs. Once they do, then civil discourse can truly take place. When civil discourse fails, civil strife prospers.
When civil discourse no longer becomes an option or route for conflict resolution, then the country or the community will undoubtedly sink further into division and strife. Unity and co-existence come from being civil. Once that is achieved, the rest will fall in line. Building a country takes time and effort, brick by brick, piece by piece. Civil discourse is the first piece to that long-lasting, solid foundation, for any prosperous country.
