What happened to civics?
I was writing a blog post this morning and needed to look up the definition of “civic.”
I look up words all the time by typing them into the search bar. Google gives me the definition–and an entire page of other dictionary sources–and I go about writing.
When I typed “civic” into the search bar today, I had to go halfway down the second page of search results to find the definition I sought. The first page and a half were advertisements for the Honda Civic.
My first brand new car was a Honda Civic. I loved that car and drove it for almost ten years.
What does it say, however, about our society when we think of “civic” as something we buy and sell? Something we consume and discard?
The definition of “civic,” according to Merriam-Webster, is: “…of or relating to a citizen, a city, citizenship, or community affairs.” We say a “civic-minded” person cares about what is happening in her or his community. To be civic is to belong to something bigger than oneself, to understand how one’s actions (or in-action) affect everyone else.
To be civic, then, is to give priority to serving society. It is to wake up every morning and ask: “Who in my community needs an advocate, a friend, or a neighbor today? What do I have to contribute to my community today? Where does my community need me today?”
These aren’t silly questions. The citizen understands that she is the basic building block–the “cell”–of society. She understands that she has an outsize influence on her community each day she goes about her life.
The citizen also understands that the quality of his life depends on the quality of life in the society to which he belongs. Self-interest only takes him so far. Eventually, if society grows poorer and weaker around him, the platform burns beneath his feet. Self-interest apart from the greater good pays well for awhile, but it will eventually cost everything.
I’m afraid we’ve lost civics in our country. At some point in our more recent history, we confused capitalism (an economic system that emphasizes self-interest) with civics (a human system that emphasizes the common good). As a consequence, we increasingly measure our society by economic metrics like the Dow Jones, GDP, profits, and wages. Making more money–not weaving a strong social fabric–has become the highest aim and ideal.
What we see happening in America right now is the consequence.
It’s time to learn the difference between capitalism and civics and for the sake of both, to make civics the priority.
So ask yourself today:
Who in my community/society needs an advocate, a friend, a neighbor?
What do I have to contribute to my community/society today?
Where does my community/society need me today?
Onward and upward.