Goodness And Decency Supports A Civil Society
- Mark Johnson
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Our society feels as though it is approaching a breaking point. That is not a partisan observation. It is not a cable-news cliché. It is something many of us are experiencing quietly in our daily lives. Distrust lingers in the air, and anger feels ambient. The public "conversation" is becoming less of a conversation and more of an exchange of words that are getting harsher and meaner by the day. Like so many Americans, I find myself looking around and noticing more and more signs that something essential is fraying.
We are all witness to endless arguments about politics, policy, economics, and technology. Here, we blame institutions, elites, media, social platforms, or “the other side.” We debate symptoms with ferocity. Yet, we never seem to get to an agreement on how to fix whatever the latest problem is that day. I used to wonder if this was because we do not know how solve tough issues, or if it was because we don't want to do the work? I now realise the answer is neither. Buried beneath all of the noise is something deeper. The fact is, I don't believe the "issues of the day" are even true issues for most of us at all. Rather, they are manufactured to fuel the business of politics. These issues are selected by the powers that be to raise money and get clicks. And while the political class profits, these tactics have fueled the greater malaise that's weakening the social fabric that keeps our country functioning as a civil society.
The concept of civil society—the invisible set of norms that allows more than 330 million people to live together in relative peace—depends on trust, restraint, and shared expectations. It is not self-sustaining. It must be rebuilt, generation after generation.
Right now, this strain unsettles us all simply because we have no other acceptable options. Americans, for all our divisions, share one fundamental truth: we are not going to accept authoritarian solutions. We are not going to accept autocratic rule. We are not going to accept theocratic rule. In a democracy defined by freedom—free markets, individual liberties, self-determination—Americans do not like being told what to do. That has always been part of the bargain. We are a people who insist on independence. We resist imposed order and are suspicious of control from above. We are, by nature, difficult to govern through coercion. So the solution to this moment cannot be forced. It must be chosen.
And that is why the answer, surprisingly, may be simpler than we think. No, the true fix is not political. It is moral. And civic.
It's about goodness.
America Is Great Because America Is Good
In the 19th century, Alexis de Tocqueville traveled through the young United States trying to understand what made the American experiment work. He observed a nation that was loud, messy, diverse, entrepreneurial, religious, argumentative, imperfect—and yet somehow cohesive.
He famously concluded, in words often paraphrased and repeated because they capture something enduring:
“America is great because America is good. And if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”
Whether Tocqueville wrote that sentence exactly as it is commonly quoted matters less than the truth it points toward. America’s success has always depended on more than wealth or military strength or technological dominance.
It has depended on character.
For generations, “being good” has been an American principle. Not perfect. Not saintly. But good in the civic sense: decent, fair, restrained, grounded in the belief that people remain equal citizens even when they are unequal in status.
Americans have taken pride in that reputation. We have believed, at our best, that we are a society where people can disagree without destroying one another, compete without cruelty, and build prosperity without abandoning decency.
That goodness was not ornamental. It was foundational.
And today, it feels as though we have strayed from it.
It Isn't Political, It's Civic.
The deeper crisis in America is not simply that we disagree. We have always disagreed. The crisis is that we increasingly struggle to live together while disagreeing. We have normalized contempt. We have rewarded outrage. We have made cruelty fashionable. We have allowed distrust to metastasize. We have lost confidence not only in institutions, but in one another.
This crisis is unfolding at the same time that we are entering the AI revolution. Artificial intelligence will reshape how we work, how value is created, and how power is distributed. Many see extraordinary promise. Many also see profound risk. Workers worry about displacement. Communities worry about widening inequality. It is not hard to imagine AI accelerating a trend already underway: more power, more influence, and more wealth concentrated in fewer hands. At the very moment when technology is transforming the economy, society itself feels less steady.
Which raises a crucial question. If “being good” is an American requirement, who is going to coach us back into it? Who is going to model it? Who is going to insist on it?
This Is Where Real Leaders Must Step In
When Americans think of leadership, they often think only of elected officials. But some of the most influential leaders in the country are not in Washington. They are in business.
Business leaders shape the daily lives of tens of millions of Americans. They determine workplace culture. They set norms. They decide what behavior is tolerated and what is rewarded. They hold immense influence over how people experience authority, dignity, fairness, and voice.
That is why business leadership carries a responsibility that goes beyond quarterly earnings.
Yes, leaders are fiduciaries for shareholders. But in this moment, they must also become fiduciaries of the American civil society itself. Because markets do not function without trust. Prosperity does not survive without stability. And civil society is the foundation beneath everything else.
If the social fabric collapses, the economy collapses with it. There is no consumer demand in a society at war with itself. There is no upward mobility in a society without trust. There is no retirement security, no stock market, no thriving enterprise in a nation that has lost its cohesion.
Business cannot outrun civic collapse.
The Workplace Is A Training Ground For Decency
Most adults spend most of their waking hours at work. In America, this is especially true. Even when we are on vacation we are expected to join calls, field questions and manage projects. In fact, the workplace isn't as much of a "place" anymore, especially with arrival of COVID-era remote work technologies and policies. Today, the idea of "workplace" is more about being part of a community of collaborators, and the expectations and responsibilities that come with being a member. These communities define what is acceptable behavior. They shape how power is exercised. They influence whether people feel respected or disposable, heard or silenced, valued or invisible.
As work spills into everyday life more frequently as it does today, its no surprise the norms practiced at work do not stay at work. They spill outward into families, communities, and public life.
Therefore, If respect is demanded in the workplace, it becomes easier to practice in society. If kindness is modeled professionally, it becomes harder to abandon it civically. If fairness is enforced internally, it strengthens expectations externally. This is how goodness scales.
Not through slogans, but through culture.
What Does “Being Good” Require Now?
Being good is not primarily about corporate charity programs or tax-deductible philanthropy. Those things matter, but they are not the heart of the issue. The ask is more basic. It is about how we treat one another. It is about rebuilding trust through daily standards of decency.
Business leaders can begin with five essential commitments.
They must value and accept truth. Businesses cannot function without shared reality. Civil society is no different. To rebuild trust, we must recommit to truth, where facts, science and evidence matters. In an AI era, honesty becomes even more essential. Leaders must resist manipulation and demonstrate intellectual integrity.
They must demand respect. Humiliation, cruelty, and dehumanization cannot be acceptable, no matter who is speaking or who is listening.
They must model kindness and reject intolerance. Kindness is not weakness. It is strength under control, and organizations should reward generosity while refusing to tolerate contempt.
They must practice compassion. This is especially when a particular decision affects many other people's lives. Leaders make choices that shape livelihoods, and empathy is part of responsible authority.
They must lead with objectivity and emotional discipline. One of the hardest tasks in leadership is separating ego and volatility from decision-making. Fair-minded authority is civic stewardship.
America’s Next 250 Years Depend On Goodness
America has proven its capabilities time and time again. We have the brainpower and the resources to continue to build smarter machines, and in out next 250 years we most certainly will. As those companies grow and create new wealth for those invested in their success, we must ask ourselves this. What role will these future business successes play in building a stronger society?
Tocqueville’s warning still echoes: America is great because America is good. And if we want greatness to endure, goodness must return—not as nostalgia, but as expectation. And the leaders best positioned to begin that restoration are not politicians. They are the men and women who lead the American workforce, shape its cultural norms, and influence the daily lives of every American. That's why I am asking every business leader to interpret this call to action in their own unique way.
For me, you will learn in the weeks to come what I plan to do to help bring back the goodness and decency we all crave. Stay tuned. But I cannot be the only one.
For the other leaders out there, the time to act is here and your country needs you.
Consider this your invitation.
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