Toxic Citizen Self-Test
If you have demonstrated any of the following behavior in the last six months you may currently be a “toxic citizen”, who is unconstructive to political dialogue and to a well functioning democracy:
- When I argue against (for) a policy, I stray from focus on policy and speculate upon and attack the motives of individuals promoting (not supporting) it.
- My civic engagement includes ridiculing policy makers for their appearance or other personal traits.
- I believe that freedom of speech is dangerous when the speech goes against my viewpoint.
- I have very low standards of proof and low skepticism for statements I want to believe, but impossibly high standards of proof and extreme skepticism for statements I don’t want to believe.
- I do not allow leaders and fellow citizens to grow from mistakes, and I insist that their mistakes should define them forever.
- I have employed anger and enragement as substitutes for argument and discussion.
- I believe that one group (based on race/ethnicity, gender, religion, origin, etc.) has more claim to the rights, privileges and protections of citizenship than others.
- I regularly attribute bad behavior to groups (based on race/ethnicity, gender, religion, origin, etc.) rather than to the choices of individuals.