Respekt geht anders

Germany is in combat mode. Dissenters are vilified, and instead of coming together, an aggressive climate of intolerance is spreading in public. Gabriele Krone-Schmalz seeks to build bridges and points out where the traps lie that turn pluralistic debates into polarizing divides. It is a passionate plea for a better culture of debate that encourages reflection on whether there could be another way: calmer, more composed, self-critical, in short: more respectful. Respectful arguing would be the way to go! The world faces great challenges. There is plenty of material for heated debates. But how do we want to conduct them? Respectfully? Constructively? Firm on the issues but conciliatory in tone? That would be better, especially for the cohesion of our society and the stability of our democracy. Instead, the "either-or" mentality prevails far too often, rather than the "both-and." Exaggerations abound, panic is stirred, the dignity of dissenters is violated, and while everyone can say anything, they must then endure insults and threats from those who disagree with them. How about seeking common ground instead of attacking each other, valuing compromises instead of insisting on maximal demands, and keeping in mind how much is actually going well in Germany? Composure is a graceful form of self-confidence, as Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach already knew. And who wouldn’t want to be self-assured?.