Civil vs. Polite

In English usage, the connotations of civil are different than polite or political. The word civil comes from the Latin word civis, meaning "citizen" and is related to the Latin word civitas, meaning "state." The words political and polite come from the Greek word πολις or polis, meaning "city-state." A recent discussion forced me to reflect on the differences.

Clearly, we intuitively prefer someone to be civil rather than polite. Polite and political both indicate a superficial action designed to create an external environment which may not reflect an interior state. On the other hand, civil and civilization indicate a profound sense of quality and even reasonableness in which the exterior and interior states are harmonized. What could be the linguistic roots for such difference given the similar origins of the word?

In our discussion, we explored different meanings of civil and got around to that civil behavior is one that seeks common ground. From this definition, I began to understand a possible reason for the development of different meanings. The Greek polis designated a "city-state" which carried its own environment, its own gods and culture. On the other hand, the Roman world was concerned about connectivity. A recent National Geographic article highlights the characteristics of roads as the defining feature. In fact, in the Roman's original 12 laws, rules of the road were one of this all-important list.

My take-away? Finding common ground and processing with compromise is the keystone for civilized behavior. We are all the center of our own universes and starting with that humble understand can lead to productive engagement. The recent environment of polite behavior which dismisses opinions not equally shared may have driven some of the recently unleashed divisiveness.