Ludiebug

RULE #7 Put not off your clothes in the presence of others, nor go out of your chamber half dressed. Young George Washington recorded this as his seventh Rule of Civility. In other words: finish getting dressed before you walk into the room, and maybe don’t start undressing while people are still trying to have a conversation. The rule is a gentle reminder that “I’m just getting ready” is not a spectator sport. Eighteenth-century Washington apparently felt strongly enough about it to write it down, which suggests that even then someone was strolling out of their chamber missing a stocking and calling it efficiency. In modern times this is the person who steps out of the house with their pants sagging halfway down, constantly having to pull them up as they walk—like the style some gangbangers and certain fashion trends made famous. The rule simply asks that you complete the private process—including getting your pants fully on and staying up—before imposing the unfinished version on everyone else. Civility, it turns out, sometimes just means pulling your pants all the way up before you leave the room. Rule 7 of George Washington’s Rules of Civility. We’re posting them one by one so we can practice them together.

They’re Not Just Trying to Fire Pete Hegseth — They’re Trying to End His Future and Scare the Next Generation This isn’t about one job. This is about making sure Pete Hegseth never holds power again — and sending a message to every young conservative who might think about serving. Impeachment is the constitutional weapon that does both. The House charges him. The Senate convicts and removes him. Then comes the part that actually matters: the separate vote to disqualify him from “any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States.” That single vote bars him from the presidency, from Congress, from any federal office for the rest of his life. That’s exactly the kind of permanent cost some Democrats have said they want. Sen. Elissa Slotkin put it plainly: she wants “signature cases” against people who enabled Trump so that young people coming out of school will say, “Lord, that might be buying myself a ton of problems that I don’t want, and so let me avoid participating in that.” Impeachment and disqualification are the ultimate version of that message. Removal is temporary. Disqualification is permanent. It tells the next generation of Republicans that serving can cost them not just their current job, but every future one. If the Senate stops short of the disqualification vote, he walks away free to run/serve again. If they finish the job, his path is closed and the deterrent is locked in. That’s why they’re pushing it. And that’s why it matters.

RULE #6 Sleep not when others speak, sit not when others stand, speak not when you should hold your peace, walk not on when others stop. Young George Washington recorded this as his sixth Rule of Civility. It is about paying attention to the people around you and matching your behavior to the moment. Falling asleep while someone is talking, sitting while everyone else stands, talking over silence, or walking away while others have paused—all of these treat the group as if it exists only for your convenience. The rule asks for the opposite: stay present, notice what others are doing, and adjust so you are not the distraction or the exception. In modern terms this can look like putting the phone down when someone is speaking, standing when the rest of the room rises, or waiting instead of filling every quiet gap with your own words. The principle is simple presence—recognizing that shared time belongs to everyone in it. Civility is often the decision to stay with the moment instead of drifting out of it. Rule 6 of George Washington’s Rules of Civility. We’re posting them one by one so we can practice them together.

RULE #4 In the presence of others, sing not to yourself with a humming voice, or drum with your fingers or feet. Young George Washington copied this as his fourth Rule of Civility. It is a small rule about self-control in company: do not fill the space around you with private noises, humming, or restless tapping that others did not ask to hear. In a quiet room, those habits are hard to ignore. They pull attention toward the person making the sound and away from the conversation or the people present. The rule is not against music or movement; it is against treating shared space as if it belongs only to you. Today the same principle shows up in many forms—humming under your breath during a meeting, tapping a pen, or scrolling and fidgeting while someone is speaking. The reminder is simple: when you are with others, keep the noise and the restlessness in check so the moment remains theirs as much as yours. Civility is often the decision not to add one more distraction. Rule 4 of George Washington’s Rules of Civility. We’re posting them one by one so we can practice them together.

Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present. Young George Washington copied this as his very first Rule of Civility. Not because it was clever or complicated, but because he understood something timeless: the quality of any gathering—whether a dinner table, a workplace, a community, or a nation—rises or falls on whether the people in it treat one another as worthy of basic regard. Respect doesn’t require agreement. It doesn’t demand silence or surrender. It simply asks that we refuse to treat the people in front of us as obstacles, props, or enemies by default. A nod. A listening ear. A measured word instead of a sneer. The willingness to see the human being sharing the same space. In an age that rewards outrage and dismisses courtesy as weakness, this old rule still cuts through. It reminds us that character is revealed not in grand declarations, but in the small, consistent signs we offer the people right there with us. Civility begins with presence. And presence begins with respect. Starting today, we’re going to post George Washington’s Rules of Civility—one at a time—so we can rediscover and practice them together.