New research tries to spot the collapse of liberal democracies before they happen, and it suggests that Western democracy may be seriously ill as shared in this New York Times article, How Stable are Democracies? ‘Warning Signs Are Flashing Red.’
The findings are VERY disturbing. Based on the hundreds of people I spoke to over six years doing the research for my books on bullying in the workplace, I reached the same conclusion. People do not trust the establishment in the broadest context. Much of this distrust stems from what they experience at work, which has been reinforced by the illegal, unethical, abusive activities and behaviors that have been, and continue to be, exposed in the media—all of which has led to levels of incivility that jeopardize a civil society. My previous blogs on the U.S. election highlighted the amber lights on what became the outcome. Since the election we are already witnessing signals which indicate that democracy is at risk and the checks and balances that should be in place are fragile.
Given my assertion that the current level of discontent started in the workplace, it can and should be reversed there. There’s ample evidence of what is going on. A work health survey of just under 12,000 people conducted by Mental Health America and sponsored by the Faas Foundation showed that an astounding 80.39 percent speak poorly about their company to family and friends and the remainder would rarely or never do so.
Everyone can play a role here to fix this, starting by identifying the unnecessary stress factors in the workplace. A first step to understand this is by participating in the Emotion Revolution in the Workplace survey sponsored by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and the Faas Foundation. Reducing unnecessary stress factors in the workplace will create a more civil environment, which will spill over into society. This will trigger the biggest check and balance to autocratic rule—the attitude of the people. Please take the time to complete the survey and ask everyone you know do the same.
Credit: BIGSTOCK