--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now, you may think this is all…" description: "\"“Now, you may think this is all kindergarten ethics, right down to the time-out for naught kids. If so, you are correct. … Civility is what people need..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/jimmy-wales-4935_civility_now-you-may-think-this-is-all-kindergart_341819.jpg" --- # Now, you may think this is all kindergarten ethics, right… ![“Now, you may think this is all kindergarten ethics, right down to the time-out for naught kids. If so, you are correct. … Civility is what people need to establish relationships and cooperate… But civility does not mean-I can’t underscore this strongly enough-minimizing or downplaying…” quote by Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/jimmy-wales-4935_civility_now-you-may-think-this-is-all-kindergart_341819.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/jimmy-wales-4935_civility_now-you-may-think-this-is-all-kindergart_341819.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/jimmy-wales-4935_civility_now-you-may-think-this-is-all-kindergart_341819.jpg) > ““Now, you may think this is all kindergarten ethics, right down to the time-out for naught kids. If so, you are correct. … Civility is what people need to establish relationships and cooperate… But civility does not mean-I can’t underscore this strongly enough-minimizing or downplaying disagreements, much less avoiding disagreement altogether. We not only should disagree when we have sincere, thoughtful objections. We must. Disagreements it is how we learn from each other and get smarter together. It is not uncivil to disagree. Civility simply demands that we put the focus on the substance of the disagreement, not on the people disagreeing.”” [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Civility means focusing on substance, not avoiding disagreement; respectful disagreement fuels learning and progress. **In simple terms:** Disagree respectfully, focus on ideas not people. Key Takeaway Embrace constructive conflict. Themes civility dialogue learning Mood thoughtful instructive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - team projects - public forums - online discussions Key Concepts respectful debate critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How can we teach respectful disagreement? - What structures support substantive debate? A Different Perspective People may misinterpret disagreement as hostility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civility/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ## Related quotes > [The great thing about civility is that it does not require you to agree with or approve of anything. You don't even have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-great-thing-about-civility-is-that-it-does-not-require-you-to/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [Civility does not ...mean the mere outward gentleness of speech cultivated for the occasion, but an inborn gentleness and desire to do the opponent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/civility-does-not-mean-the-mere-outward-gentleness-of-speech/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [John Stuart Mill, in his wonderful 1859 book On Liberty, talks about civility. And this is why you should always be concerned about calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-lukianoff/john-stuart-mill-in-his-wonderful-1859-book-on-liberty-talks-about/) Greg Lukianoff > [The language has changed. When I grew up and watched the campaigns of John Kennedy, even with Richard Nixon, there was a lot higher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-cleaver/the-language-has-changed-when-i-grew-up-and-watched-the-campaigns-of/) [Emanuel Cleaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-cleaver/) > [“..civility took root at Wikipedia. It grew into a social norm...But sometimes, even the toughest social norms aren’t enough. We found there is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/civility-took-root-at-wikipedia-it-grew-into-a-social-norm-but/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [The insolent civility of a proud man is, if possible, more shocking than his rudeness could be; because he shows you, by his manner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/the-insolent-civility-of-a-proud-man-is-if-possible-more-shocking/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [“Never in England were there so many gentlemen and so little gentleness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/never-in-england-were-there-so-many-gentlemen-and-so-little-gentleness/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [“Elizabeth received them with all the forbearance of civility”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/elizabeth-received-them-with-all-the-forbearance-of-civility/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“When someone has wronged you, continue to treat them with civility. It’s the ultimate mark of a mensch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruna-martinuzzi/when-someone-has-wronged-you-continue-to-treat-them-with-civility-it/) [Bruna Martinuzzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruna-martinuzzi/) > [They parted at last with mutual civility, and possibly a mutual desire of never meeting again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/they-parted-at-last-with-mutual-civility-and-possibly-a-mutual-desire/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/how-much-wit-good-nature-indulgences-how-many-good-offices-and/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The Second World War had a precipitating effect in that it discredited the empires, as well as bankrupting them. Not only could you no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/the-second-world-war-had-a-precipitating-effect-in-that-it/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [Martha Stewart contributes more to our civility than the Baptist Church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-hickey/martha-stewart-contributes-more-to-our-civility-than-the-baptist/) [Dave Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-hickey/) > [Most adults would not dream of belittling, humiliating, or bullying (verbally or physically) another adult. But many of the same adults think nothing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-steinberg/most-adults-would-not-dream-of-belittling-humiliating-or-bullying/) [Laurence Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-steinberg/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) ## More by Jimmy Wales > [People are not fundamentally bad. It only takes the smallest of correctives to take care of that tiny minority that wants to disrupt the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/people-are-not-fundamentally-bad-it-only-takes-the-smallest-of/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [Simply having rules does not change the things that people want to do. You have to change incentives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/simply-having-rules-does-not-change-the-things-that-people-want-to-do/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [I think that argument is completely morally bankrupt, and I think people know that when they make it. There's a very big difference between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/i-think-that-argument-is-completely-morally-bankrupt-and-i-think/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [I have said this many times in the past and will say it many times in the future I am sure: some people need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/i-have-said-this-many-times-in-the-past-and-will-say-it-many-times-in/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [The core community is passionate about quality and getting it right. If you want to read some good criticisms of Wikipedia, probably the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/the-core-community-is-passionate-about-quality-and-getting-it-right/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [People who have achieved a public voice find it a mixed bag.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/people-who-have-achieved-a-public-voice-find-it-a-mixed-bag/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [The core of Wikipedia is something people really believe in. That is too valuable for the world to screw it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/the-core-of-wikipedia-is-something-people-really-believe-in-that-is/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [It's kind of surprising that you could just open up a site and let people work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/it-s-kind-of-surprising-that-you-could-just-open-up-a-site-and-let/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [Wikis and social networking are just tools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/wikis-and-social-networking-are-just-tools/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [I think it's a mistake to treat different realms of knowledge as if they are some how fundamentally the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/i-think-it-s-a-mistake-to-treat-different-realms-of-knowledge-as-if/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [It turns out a lot of people don't get it. Wikipedia is like rock'n'roll; it's a cultural shift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/it-turns-out-a-lot-of-people-don-t-get-it-wikipedia-is-like-rock-n/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [Freely licensed textbooks are the next big thing in education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/freely-licensed-textbooks-are-the-next-big-thing-in-education/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [We are still in the very beggining of the Internet. Let's use it wisely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/we-are-still-in-the-very-beggining-of-the-internet-let-s-use-it-wisely/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [If you see a blatant error or misconception about yourself, you really want to set it straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/if-you-see-a-blatant-error-or-misconception-about-yourself-you-really/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [It has become more important than ever that we teach students how to do research, and how to evaluate different sources of information. (Jimmy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/it-has-become-more-important-than-ever-that-we-teach-students-how-to/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) [Explore all 105 Jimmy Wales quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) ## More Civility quotes > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Most adults would not dream of belittling, humiliating, or bullying (verbally or physically) another adult. But many of the same adults think nothing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-steinberg/most-adults-would-not-dream-of-belittling-humiliating-or-bullying/) [Laurence Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-steinberg/) > [Martha Stewart contributes more to our civility than the Baptist Church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-hickey/martha-stewart-contributes-more-to-our-civility-than-the-baptist/) [Dave Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-hickey/) > [The Second World War had a precipitating effect in that it discredited the empires, as well as bankrupting them. Not only could you no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/the-second-world-war-had-a-precipitating-effect-in-that-it/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/how-much-wit-good-nature-indulgences-how-many-good-offices-and/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [They parted at last with mutual civility, and possibly a mutual desire of never meeting again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/they-parted-at-last-with-mutual-civility-and-possibly-a-mutual-desire/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“When someone has wronged you, continue to treat them with civility. It’s the ultimate mark of a mensch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruna-martinuzzi/when-someone-has-wronged-you-continue-to-treat-them-with-civility-it/) [Bruna Martinuzzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruna-martinuzzi/) > [“Elizabeth received them with all the forbearance of civility”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/elizabeth-received-them-with-all-the-forbearance-of-civility/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“Never in England were there so many gentlemen and so little gentleness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/never-in-england-were-there-so-many-gentlemen-and-so-little-gentleness/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [The insolent civility of a proud man is, if possible, more shocking than his rudeness could be; because he shows you, by his manner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/the-insolent-civility-of-a-proud-man-is-if-possible-more-shocking/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [A good word is an easy obligation; but not to speak ill requires only our silence, which costs us nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tillotson/a-good-word-is-an-easy-obligation-but-not-to-speak-ill-requires-only/) [John Tillotson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tillotson/) > ['Playboy' operated with a patina of civility that granted the average man a presumption of pleasure that went one way - his. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-morris/playboy-operated-with-a-patina-of-civility-that-granted-the-average/) [Wesley Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-morris/) > [ \[T\]he politically correct are above the rules of ordinary civility, once they have identified you as an unbeliever in their religion. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/t-he-politically-correct-are-above-the-rules-of-ordinary-civility/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Sanctions alone could not stop Iran's nuclear program. But they did help bring Iran to the negotiating table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/sanctions-alone-could-not-stop-iran-s-nuclear-program-but-they-did/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Even here in America, we felt the cool, refreshing breeze of freedom when Nelson Mandela took the seat of Presidency in his country where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/even-here-in-america-we-felt-the-cool-refreshing-breeze-of-freedom/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) [Browse all 393 Civility quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civility/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Now, you may think this is all kindergarten ethics, right down to the time-out for naught kids. 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