by Kenneth Rudich
Recent history in the U.S. has made it apparent some people view freedom and democracy as a standing invitation to act untoward toward others.
For those who subscribe to this philosophy and wish to perfect their craft, we’ve taken the liberty of assembling this list of incivilities to help you along. We recommend trying a little of each before wholeheartedly committing to any single one of them.
But once you have found the one that fits like a comfortable glove, make haste to unleash the uncivil in you!
1. Demeaning Language – to use words that lower/diminish a person’s dignity.
2. Intimidate – to create fear or an unsafe feeling, situation or environment for a person(s).
3. Threaten – to express intent to harm, humiliate, hinder or injure a person.
4. Slander – to speak false statements that defame (disgrace) a person(s).
5. Lie – to make false statements with intent to deceive a person(s) or situation(s).
6. Libel – to write or create images that defame (disgrace) a person.
7. Derogatory Written Communications – to write emails, letters, notes, social media entries, blogs and websites with the intent to inflict harm, intimidation, humiliation, or hindrance on a person(s).
8. Violent Language, Behavior and Action – to make emotional and physical outbursts, including profanity and insults, towards a person(s).
9. Harass – to continuously torment a person(s).
10. Gossip – to spread rumors or negative talk about a person(s).
11. Sabotage – to set up a person(s) to fail.
12. Bully (workplace, school, social) – to continuously use power and influence to intimidate, humiliate, harm or hinder a person(s).
13. Mob (workplace, school, social) – to organize a group of people to intimidate, humiliate, harm or hinder person(s).
14. Instigate – to urge, provoke or incite the harm, intimidation or hindrance of a person(s).
15. Target – to select a person(s) with the intent to inflict physical, emotional or professional harm, humiliation or hindrance on that person(s).
16. Retaliate – to harm, intimidate, humiliate or hinder a person(s) for reporting violations of incivility, seeking to have prohibited behavior corrected, or participating in an investigation.
17. Reveal Confidential or Sensitive Information – to intentionally and maliciously share confidential or sensitive information about a person(s).
18. Rankism (Otherism) – to use one’s higher rank, ample influence or one’s hate of a person(s) to harm, intimidate, humiliate or hinder a person.
P.S. — For those inclined to mistake this post as anything other than tongue-in-cheek, be rest assured we’re not really advocating this stuff.
P.S.S. – For those who manage people or have the responsibility to uphold a brand, this is a genuinely good list to use when training employees about inappropriate behaviors.