Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky had said, “the degree of civilization in a society is revealed by entering its prisons.” He had said this after his imprisonment for being a government conspirator. His more than four years in prison left an impression upon him many of us will not experience. Dostoyevsky’s literary work includes time as a journalist, publisher, and philosopher during a tumultuous 19th century Russia, which only further broadens the gap between his world and that of ours today in 21st century America.
Now, the degree of civilization in our own society can still be measured by how we treat the incarcerated. That’s another argument for another time. But, if one is curious enough to observe how our community is as a society, one only needs to sit quietly, watch and listen while standing in a store.
Civilization is defined by Dictionary.com as “an advanced state of human society, in which a high level of culture, science, industry, and government has been reached.” But, we can also derive from this that such a community, one that has achieved these standards, has developed a means to coexist. To live with one another peacefully, we assume some sense of decorum has been established. Social mores so ingrained that something like courtesy is less an obligation and more a way of life. How often did our parents train us to say “please” and “thank you” as we were children?
Yet, common courtesy is no longer so common these days.
Dostoyevsky’s barometer for civilization has evolved from the penal system to something else. One could say his comments were directed more towards government and less about community. In a nation that embraces commercialism, the litmus paper is best applied to the world of customer service.
Take a trip to the mall and your observation exercise begins in the parking lot. Note those parking illegally in handicapped spots, or the spots immediately adjacent to that are designed to make room for wheel chairs. At face value, you have someone breaking the law. A brief moment to reflect reveals the fact that there is the potential someone will be unable to go home; waiting for someone else to move.
Visit your local grocer and observe the interaction between customer and clerk. The world of customer service is a level of hell not covered by Dante’s “Inferno,” but hell it is. Displays of common courtesy, otherwise known as manners, have been replaced with rudeness bordering on the ostentatious. Often times the customer remains curt despite pleasantries shared by the clerk. No manners. No “please”s. No “thank you”s. This goes beyond someone reserved in demeanor or preoccupied in thought. There is a collective attitude that those in customer service are indentured servants to the one wielding the credit card.
As the holiday season approaches, it’s time people take responsibility for their own behaviors while out in public. There are people who walk among us who define themselves by the title they carry within the walls of their vocation; director, manager, vice president. But, perhaps you don’t understand that those titles are checked at the door once you leave the office. When out in public, you’re John Doe. And, when you continue to look down your nose at a college kid or single mother working hard to make ends meet, the public sees you more as an ass.
We live in a material world. No one is indebted to you just because you’re a material girl.