Term 3-07
Learning to be Civil
Recently I finished two books by Cormack McCathy, “The Road” and “No Country For Old Men”. In each book, in different ways, McCathy visits his reoccurring themes of civility, truth and goodness.
In “The Road” a father and his young son journey through a post apocalyptic landscape encountering great hardship. During an encounter with a starving almost blind traveller, “the Boy” insists on sharing their meagre reserves. It is clear that this act will not save the traveller. It is an example of goodness and civility in extraordinary circumstances.
In “No Country For Old Men” the main character, Bell is asked by a young journalist about how the county of which he was Sheriff, had become so lawless. Bell replies that, “It all started when people stopped being polite to each other”.
You could of course call this simple country wisdom irrelevant in today’s complex and fast moving society. However, it did make me question whether we as a society, are less polite or civil than our parents might have wanted us to be. Also, if we are, as in the eyes of McCathy, slipping towards some yet to be seen abyss of mistrust, lawlessness and cruelty, because of our growing disregard for each other?
One of the features of a postmodern world is apparent contradiction and duality. For instance as individuals we are both highly visible and at the same time, totally anonymous. Here I am thinking about email, web identities, and mobile phones. We are ever visible and contactable using these tools but we can mask our identities to all or as many as we choose in the wider community. This masking allows us to behave in ways that we cannot if we were to reveal our identity. Most of us have received the hostile email or have noted “Flaming” in cyberspace. Anonymity both allows and perhaps encourages this.
The motor vehicle is another catalyst for this duality. We are highly visible yet anonymous. We are protected, shielded from contact with others by this personal form of transport. We are allowed to curse, gesticulate and generally behave in a way we could not if we were on public transport.
Civil society is based on trust. Isolation and anonymity allows for and to an extent encourages a break down in trust. It is a simple truth that talking to people builds trust and that networks of trust build healthy societies.
Here is a simple challenge. The next time you receive the impolite email, resist the reply button unless it is to send your heartfelt and genuine good wishes. The next time you are the object of the rude gesture from the anonymous driver in the car behind you, wave and smile. To take this even further, you might consider participating in small acts of anonymous trust.
Garry John Traynor
Principal
garry.traynor@scc.nsw.edu.au
The views expressed in this editorial are those of the author.
