Clare Henney: Civil is The New Plastic

Back in the day, being plastic meant that you were insincere and fake. These days, I think that being civil is the new plastic — the nicer, lighter version, that is. When I was younger, acting nice to a person that you do not necessarily like would most likely be labeled as plastic/fake but now that I’m older it just means that you are being civil and polite. It means getting past your issue with that other person to be able to get the job done, whether it be at work or elsewhere. To me, it is more difficult to be civil than most people think. It is much easier to lash out and let your emotions take over but it takes a lot of class for a person to get past the issues to face someone you don’t like (or hate with a passion, as the case may be). I’m not saying that it’s wrong to be honest about the things or people you don’t agree with. My point is that we have to choose our battles and know when being civil is the better option as opposed to being brutally frank.

When I was young and lived in my own little bubble, it wasn’t a common thing to deal with people I don’t like. Now that I’m older, working and meeting a lot of people of different personalities and attitudes, being civil is something that I’ve had to learn quick. It’s not just about getting the job done. It’s also about presenting yourself in a way that would reflect on your character and that of that place you work for and the people you surround yourself with.

To me it’s not about being insincere but more about being professional and showing that you can rise above the issues to do what you are paid to do. Then again, it’s not about just being civil at work. Sometimes we have to be civil around people who are important to the ones we care about. How civil we are in spite of our issues just shows how much we value the people we care about who deem these other people as important to them. I’m not saying you should be chummy and overly fake about it, but it goes a long way to be able to treat people in the way you would like to be treated. After all, we cannot please everyone. If there are people we do not like, there are bound to be people who do not like us as well. Being civil can be easy when you’re used to it. But it can also be tiring and frustrating to the point that I sigh with relief when it’s all over. Still, I feel proud when I get things done staying civil without losing it. I guess this is what being a grown up is all about right? Do I pass?

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