Societies are often faced with several obstacles every day in which they have to overcome as a whole or risk falling apart. For instance, every society is split or separated over the many virtues and disagreements that govern them. Critical and sensitive issues like gun control, abortion rights, minimum wage, government spending and tax, and other important subjects are what societies often disagree on and have trouble coming together. That’s why civil discourse plays such an imperative role in society. It is the tool in which people use to reach consensus and solutions. It is also the best option amongst a bevy of alternatives that gets the job done in the most efficient way. There are no shortcuts to building a cohesive, conducive society. There are only the right ways and the wrong ones.
For instance, societies can choose to go about their conflict resolution through barbaric means. They can choose to have public disputes, riots, wars, or gun duels if they’re feeling extra historic. But those societies that truly want to prosper, and move forward, must adopt civil discourse in their way of life and utilize it to reach the peaceful end solutions. However, it’s easier said than done. In fact, in order for citizens to prosper in society, the people have to a few things first, before they go about anything else. For example, civil discourse will be ineffective if the participants of the discourse don’t acknowledge the other’s point of view and their rights. If both parties go into the debate or dialogue with the mindset o canceling the other then any sort of discourse will be ineffective, and flat-out detrimental, to the purpose of it. All parties, bar none, should be willing to compromise, give leeway, and concessions when appropriate. The goal is to pursue a win-win scenario so that after the civil discourse people will go back to a co-existing way of life.
But the main thing for civil discourse to prosper in a society is to focus most on one keyword, and that is civil. Because there can’t be civil discourse without first being civil. If that’s the case, then it’s likely that the discourse taking place has actually regressed to extremist debate, or worse, hate rhetoric. People must be civil when engaged in conversation and dialogue, especially if that dialogue is for the purpose of building a constructive society. Issues like gun control are sensitive issues where emotions are bound to flare up, and reason bound to dim down. However, you must catch yourself in the act and not allow yourself to become too emotional and consecutively, irrational. It’s like we said earlier, it’s easier said than done.
Applying these tactics and rules of thumb is a good way to ensure that civil discourse can and will prosper in any society. Understanding civil discourse is important if you want to fully apply it in the society in which you live if you truly want to make conflict resolution easier, and possible.