I am not alone

In the side quest I have of changing the world, I have always believed that blogs are probably the best tool. I know my life has been enriched greatly by having a blog. I met my wife, some of my closest friends all over the country and it even helps me stay connected with some of my friends from back in college. Now, what if we applied the power of blogging to a great cause.

I know what you guys most be thinking, Logtar is going to ask us to either sacrifice our beer budget to satisfy his suburban guilt. Not true at all this one requires no money, little effort and a huge payback.

I have been writing about manners and respect the years I have been blogging. I think our world would be a better place if we all became just a little nicer. Most people think this is just cult speak, but I really think that making subtle changes can change the world.

Some people think that good manners talk does not go beyond using proper words for things, or what fork to eat the salad with. I think civility goes beyond that, and it is time to give it a try.

Listening to the radio I heard about the civility movement. I was going to post about it, but Bob Sutton did a great job already so go read about it there. It is being proven in a little microcosm how a community can change itself.

I admit that most of the local bloggers I have met are already pretty decent people. I also understand that some blogs, including mine, are outlets and frustration spills over all the time. I am not asking you to change your blog, just asking you to consider some of the changes the whole movement is about.

The changes are all about boundaries and self restrain. One of the big points made about our society is that we have become so self esteem driven, that some people have become self absorbed. While being happy while not hurting others is a good base, trying to be a little nicer is not something that we should be scared to be reminded about.

The movement started with a book by P. M. Forni that I will have to pick up and read. Some of the rules of civility that are outlined in his book and I think I can already start working on are the following.

* Give Constructive Criticism
* Refrain from Idle Complaints
* Respect Others’ Opinions
* Don’t Shift Responsibility and Blame
* Care for Your Guests
* Accept and Give Praise