For instance, Professor Porath has an entire chapter entitled, “Practice E-civility” that includes almost 20 “basic dos and don’ts” of digital etiquette. Although this discussion is preoccupied with emails, the potential applicability to certain scathing late-night Trump tweets is obvious. For instance:
■ If you are in doubt about your humor, sarcasm or criticism, then reread, rethink and resist the temptation.
Credit
Grand Central Publishing
■ If you are uncertain about your tone, save the message and review it later with a fresh perspective before sending it.
■ Consider the time of day you send an email message. You can write it now but maybe send it later using delayed delivery.
And so on.
In considering the possible implications of “Mastering Civility” for a Trumpian Universe, the most thought-provoking section deals with “Handling Incivility if You’re the Target.” What would it mean for the leader of the free world to be chronically uncivil? How would the domestic and international institutions over which he holds sway and with whom he must coexist likely react?
Interestingly, one of Professor Porath’s longtime clients is the National Security Agency. Both during the campaign and even more so in the current period leading up to his inauguration, the president-elect has expressed overwhelming disdain for the entire national intelligence gathering and analyzing apparatus, and has appointed a national security adviser who shares that disdain.
Most recently, Donald J. Trump’s ire has been directed at the C.I.A. in connection with its assessment of Russia’s apparent attempt to influence the election. Echoing the themes in “Mastering Civility,” George W. Bush’s former C.I.A. director expressed concerns over the demoralizing impact of such comments. Indeed, if the commander in chief suggests a lack of confidence in the intelligence obtained, he said, it would be difficult for a director of the C.I.A. to send “people into harm’s way to get information otherwise unavailable.”
Mr. Trump’s contempt for those who he must lead extends to many other corners of the government and the world. In his view, the Department of Veterans Affairs, despite well-documented improvements in recent years, is not just incompetent but the “most corrupt” federal agency. This is tame compared with the views of the transition team vice chairman and unofficial Trump “senior planner” Newt Gingrich, who has accused agency employees of the wanton murder of their charges.
Of course, to date Mr. Trump has been nothing if not underestimated. Another important aspect of Professor Porath’s research is the extent to which a leader’s civility engenders respect and admiration.
We can hope that our next president’s profound desire for both leads him to embrace civility. Far from being a sign of weakness, civility might be precisely the unexpected tool he needs to achieve the broader influence and veneration he seeks.
