By Yvonne Salas
When we speak of civility, according to Dr. P.M Forni, co-founder of the John Hopkins University Civility Project, we are speaking about how we treat others in our daily life and that is closely related to our ethics and values. A large body of studies indicate that people that have social skills and highly developed relational skills have the ability to manage their relationships in a favorable manner which are crucial to our well-being and good health.
People that have good manners and more successful both personally and professionally simply because they get along well with others and that opens up the opportunity for people to want to be near you, be part of your circle.
When we are children and our parents want us to practice good manners, we tend to view that behavior as something we do for others. As adults, we should become aware that practicing civility is a very expedient way to benefit ourselves, because first of all, we understand that other’s needs are as important as ours, but from a selfish stand point, we can enjoy the benefits of having other people like us, of avoiding conflicts and of establishing good and supportive relationships and that is directly related to a better quality of life. So let’s choose civility!
