During a week in which we've witnessed another celebrity sex scandal as well as a White House party crashing, I thought it might be opportune to re-visit the notion of civility.  In my opinion, there's been no better piece written on the subject than the NY Times' David Brooks this past July.  In his column, Brooks cites George Washington as an example of a dignity code that has been lost. 

"Washington absorbed, and later came to personify what you might call the dignity code. The code was based on the same premise as the nation’s Constitution — that human beings are flawed creatures who live in constant peril of falling into disasters caused by their own passions. Artificial systems have to be created to balance and restrain their desires."

At one point, Brooks even blames capitalism for dignity's demise.  He argues that capitalism encourages us to brand and market ourselves.  Perhaps, his opinion is a bit harsh but worth noting.  I've always thought the best form of marketing is the quiet, unobtrusive plan that isn't obnoxiously self-promoting.  Quality and excellence are attributes that will always rise above the rest.  They don't necessarily need to be touted.  In the world of sports, just look at Tony Dungy, Tom Landry, and Joe DiMaggio as examples of such excellence.