In this month’s interview, Public Discourse’s managing editor, Alexandra Davis, interviews journalist Alexandra Hudson, author of The Soul of Civility. The two discuss the timeless principles of civility, how civility differs from mere politeness, and a case for why we should strive to espouse a spirit of civility within our individual spheres of influence.
Alexandra Davis: Can you tell us what initially sparked your interest in civility, and for those who don’t know, what is the difference between civility and politeness?
Alexandra Hudson: My mother is called “Judy the Manners Lady.” She’s this internationally renowned expert on social norms and what Dale Carnegie, the author of the famous book How to Win Friends and Influence People, called the Fine Art of Getting Along. My mother is passionate about the human social project and the way that manners and social norms facilitate it. So I was raised in an environment that was attuned to social norms and attentive to them.
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