What Makes a Place Feel Civilized?

Photo by Julien Miclo on Unsplash

A group of friends I met overseas came to visit last week. When I asked, “What do you think of Taipei?” they replied, “Modern and civilized, like Tokyo and Seoul.”

I am used to hearing good things about Taipei. I know, from my own experience, that it is a great place to live. Still, I was slightly surprised that they considered Taipei comparable to Tokyo, which, in my view, is still the gold standard of a truly civilized society.

Taipei is, of course, very civilized. People queue automatically at metro platforms. The High Speed Rail is relatively quiet. What I like most, however, is the trust among people. If you leave your bag behind in a public restroom, you will often find it later in the same spot or at the lost-and-found. You can also leave your laptop on a table in a coffee shop while you go to order, without asking anyone to watch it. When you come back, it will usually still be there.

As you can see, being civilized has little to do with a city’s level of wealth. It is about the behavior of its residents. It is about a place where public life runs on consideration, restraint, and shared standards.

What are the signs of a civilized city? Tokyo probably brings to mind organized stations, quiet train cars, tidy streets, and clean public toilets.

But it is not just about tidiness or low noise. In Tokyo, there is a visible sense of restraint among people. Colleagues speak in low voices even when they are upset. Mothers quickly hush young children in restaurants. Commuters look at their phones quietly on the subway and try not to take up unnecessary space in public.

I remember watching a news report right after the 3/11 earthquake many years ago. A Japanese woman gave birth on that chaotic day. In addition to thanking the people who helped take her to the hospital, she wept and apologized for causing trouble when so many others needed help more urgently. To me, that was a true manifestation of a civilized society.

You will probably notice that these behaviors are expressions of something deeper. People do not simply obey rules. They have internalized the idea that they should not create unnecessary friction for others. This kind of civic consciousness is formed at school, at home, in the media, on the streets, and everywhere else in daily life. It is not really built by government penalties, although those help sometimes.

The mentality is formed in daily life. Children are taught by parents and teachers to consider others first and try not to trouble other people.

A civilized city is a way of living. It is not a matter of luxury. It is something that makes life more comfortable, more orderly, and even more joyful.