Is incivility rising in society?    

The way most people move, talk and react nowadays is a clear sign of rising incivility in society. Though sounds harsh and cynic, it is difficult to ignore the reality. Movement of people on streets and roads show that most of them are in a hurry and they have no time to care about others. When they talk, they expect that only they will talk and others have to listen to. When they react, they become so arrogant as if there is no room for difference of views or opinions. In this process, incivility is spreading its stranglehold on society.

Incivility may be a combination of rude behaviour, bad manner and offensive comment or any of the three. Behaviour reflects someone's overall attitude towards others. Manner shows his or her level of decency or sophistication. Comment indicates his or her inner instinct. It requires continuous nurturing of the sense of courtesy from childhood to develop a sound personality. Lack of proper education and training may compel many to grown up with the downside of these things. Nevertheless, adult people may correct such lapses and turn those agreeable to some extent. It requires a strong will power and social motivation. 

Absence of social motivation coupled with lack of incentive for practising civility is now discouraging many people to crave for the virtue. As there is no tangible or monetary gain for learning civility and there is apparently minimal consequences of incivility, many may be encouraged to adopt the later one. And so a growing number of people in this country think that there is no harm in making fun of others especially those who generally believe in a 'simple living plain thinking' mantra. While making fun, they generally forget to maintain the limit and totally ignore the fact that their fun hurt others.

When cruel fun is being encouraged by many, there is also support for verbal attack on those who try to protest such funs. Except some influential or powerful people, other victims of cruel fun and offensive language have to bear with humiliation -one that causes them mental trauma in different forms.

It is generally believed that there is a negative co-relation between education and incivility. To put it simply, education should reduce the incivility. This proposition is difficult to substantiate in this country. The number of educated people has increased significantly. Though no official statistics is available, it is also visible that incivility of people has also multiplied.  Has education failed to instil virtue of civility in people adequately? This is a critical question and the answer is not easy.   

The consequence of incivility is collectively very high in the long-run.  It is already taking toll on society as people turns more quarrelsome, less cooperative and highly intolerant.  A number of leaders and activists of political parties have been playing a role in this regard, either unaware or from misconceptions. 

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