IC’s Top 25 Philosophical and Ideological Conservative Books-No. 6 - T.S. Bogorad, The Importance of Civility

 by Enrico Peppe  

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In her recent book, T.S. Bogorad explores the nature of community, the meaning and necessity of social interaction, and the modern political concept of social victimization.

The Importance of Civility
by T.S. Bogorad
AuthorHouse Publishing (2006)
Ppbk., 348 pgs.
ISBN: 1425958931

I have reached the point where #6 of IC's Top 25 arrives.

The next five books will be classics most likely known to our readers. Those who have written me will not be in surprise as to choices. My orientation is obvious.

But this particular book, an unknown title by an unknown author, will mean the most to me since it encapsulates the essence of my IC sojourn. It is where I am now as to my thinking regarding the necessity and beauty of the Right.

And it's not a political work. It could be. It's not Libertarian. Not Catholic. Not in the traditionalist mold. It could in a subtle way orient toward NeoConservatism (at least as to its origination). It is in the vein of Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale, though much deeper and socially enveloping. Robert Nisbet would give it a nod. The Communitarian strain of the Right will not read it. It Should.

It is the best new thing I've read in ages!

Norm Goldman, editor of Bookpleasures (a great travel writer in his own right), does a nice job of briefing the book. Goldman:

Bogorad observes . . . that communities suffer and may even deteriorate when we fail to socially interact . . . we must modify our perspectives pertaining to . . . community . . . civility . . . and our need for each other."

For Bogorad, we must,

1. Learn to smile;
2. Be courteous;
3. Socially interact;
4. Discourage isolation;
5. Reduce victimization;
6. Increase listening skills;
7. Increase laughter;
8. Conduct ourselves civilly;
9. Be polite; and,
10. Cooperate and communicate.

From Bogorad:

. . . when we isolate ourselves from our community or when we reduce the number of social interactions (this lack) . . . diminishes our community's social capital.

There are seven sections to this beautiful work and splendid appendix:

A. Social Isolation
B. Community
C. Social Interaction
D. Effective Social Interaction
E. Social Interaction Problems
F. Social Interaction Problems Within the Community
G. Small Changes/Appendix

Five huge concepts appear, which for my purposes, justify political, social, and cultural fodder for IC readers:

Isolation

Our author posits six levels of behavior which lead to damaging isolation. Whether the levels deal with shyness, withdrawal, solitude, self-doubt, or boredom, it would seem that the stem of the problem points toward laziness and lack of information. Though Bogorad has no political axe to grind, my feeling toward the overall tendency of the Left to not be civil stems from the root ennui and lack of intellectual competence found on one end, that of celebrities like Streisand and Sarandon, and at the egghead end, publications like the Nation. These and countless other outlets of the Left offer for me lack of color and imagination with no regard for the value of village and community. Hence it's no surprise that Walmart gets bad press, and that the Free Market is totally misunderstood. The "average Joe" gets it. The lewd, rude, and crude Leftist doesn't.

Analytical Skills

The brilliant Bogorad in Chapter 14 zones in on social interaction and its absolute dependency on context, word knowledge and connections. Factors she considers important (and don't forget she's talking about civility here) are:

1. mutual or shared knowledge;
2. clarity due to preparation of thoughts and clear articulation;
3. shared participation;
4. shared attitudes, perceptions, values and tolerance of different attitudes and values; and willingness to entertain new ideas.
5. shared vocabulary;
6. mutual respect;
7. enthusiasm;
8. deliberate pausing for intellectual consistency and listening.

Now truly, reader: who's more adroit at the above? The Right? The Left?

Manners

A beautiful lift from Bogorad (p. 135):

The reason good manners and mutual respect create social symmetry is that they allow us to treat each other as social equals.

Leftist elitism as found in the media, the academy, and the stage is so obvious and rampant that it boggles the mind to understand why more conservatives don't see this and attack it. Ortega (see my IC review of "The Revolt of the Masses") got it on the philosophical level. Until this terrific book, however, I've not seen it in popular print.

Cathexis

Here we find a brilliant piece of reasoning. The term means to "invest emotion of feeling in (an idea, object, or another person)." Though our author is more concerned with the psychological import of cathexis, her examples amply illustrate that emotional ownership of another person through abuse and bullying and unrealistic expectations of perfection point toward the Left's propensity toward a still atavistic fondness for the French Revolution and its still lingering danger.

Social Cannibalism

Social victimization of others leads to the cannibalism we find in our communities, families, closed groups, and sadly to say, in modern political discourse. Bogorad points out that social cannibalism erodes communities in 13 ways. Read these ways for yourself. Note, however, #9 (by teaching intolerance of ideas) and #12 (by lessening the importance of civility).

Streisand's nauseating use of profanity before the crowd that made her rich is the newest example I can cite.

God, there are so many more!

Ms, Bogorad's fine book is ideologically neutral. For this I commend her. The fact that I have made it important to me as a Rightist, for this, I am eternally thankful.

IC reader, go out right now and buy this book. Buy two and send it to your leftist friend.

Who knows?

It might do some good!

The Importance of Civility is available on Amazon.com.

Book Reviews, IC’s Top 25 Conservative Books

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