Positive Attitudes Help Achieve Civility

Our attitude plays an important part in civility because it affects how we respond in challenging situations. Positive attitudes help us achieve civility. When we approach a challenging conversation with a negative attitude, we’re less likely to choose responses that produce a civil conversation. So, before a  conversation has even started, a negative attitude will set us up for failure and incivility.

Choosing our Attitudes

Our response to any situation is always entirely within our control. No matter how angry or frustrated we get, we can choose our attitude. Different attitudes produce different results. A negative attitude may produce violence or name-calling, while a positive attitude can lead to asking questions or expanding our views.

Tips for Civil Conversations

The next time you’re entering a potentially challenging conversation, ask yourself these questions.

• What outcome do I hope to achieve in this situation? You can’t fix everything, but what outcome is within your influence?
• What attitude and response gives me the best chance to achieve that outcome?