Civility is declining at a fast rate, and incivility has rapidly increased in today's society. From flicking someone off that took too long turning at the intersection, to swearing in a public place, to belittling people who think or act differently than others, and sending harassing, hurtful messages through the internet. Every one of these actions is only a small part of what portrays the disrespect that has slowly flooded the nation. The essay, "American Jerk: Be Civil, or I'll Beat You to a Pulp," by Todd Schwartz, explains the reasons for this ill-mannered behavior. Schwartz and argues that everyone can choose to behave in a civil or uncivil way. Not only do I agree that Schwartz arguments are plausible, I also believe that acting civil in today’s society is important in helping to create a more peaceful and coexisting place. To start with, Schwartz explained in his essay that, “we have arrived at simultaneously the most and least civil moments in U.S. history.” People in today’s society have a combination of civility and incivility. In his third paragraph he wrote, “We have never been more concerned about the feelings of minority groups, the disabled, and the disadvantaged. Yet we have never been less concerned about the feelings of anyone with whom we share the road, the Internet, or the movie theater.” In other words, he tells the reader that the compassion for various social groups is at the highest it has ever been. However, each of us fails to use that compassion personally in our every-day lives. For example, one minute someone could say they feel bad for the incapability of people with mental and physical disabilities, and then become irate at the person limping with a cane in front of them. Various people experience uncivil behaviors from another, and those that have it the worst are the minority groups. Next, Schwartz explains that people are all self-centered, and that gives some validation about why we are