The words Crass to Class(TM) serve as a catch-phrase for the ideology that everyone should apply to every reaction or response to the world around them. Any person who applies the principles of Crass to Class will find more success and develop into a better employee, a better friend, and a better person. Dale Carnegie tells us not to criticize people because criticism falls on deaf, defensive ears. That advice helps the person in a position of authority, but what happens when the roles are reversed? Each person will inevitably face criticism and feedback in his or her career and relationships, but the choice of reaction remains: Will that person react with a class response and receive the feedback, internalize it, and through introspection find a way to better themselves? Or will that person react with a crass response and brush off the feedback with ignorant complacency, and continue being less than excellent. When pondering the philosophy of Crass to Class, I often think of the book Unconditional Excellence. The title stands by itself in explaining the dedication required to reach excellence in anything. The crass response certainly does not strive for excellence, while the class response aspires to be just a little closer to perfect. After reading this article, the phrase Crass to Class will stick with you and the people you share it with, and once you apply the philosophy, you will find it to be a transformative way of thinking.

You can apply Crass to Class to any aspect of life. Whether you’re forming a new relationship or breaking off from a business partner; reacting to feedback or coping with disappointment; even just responding to seemingly insignificant events, you will find it worth to work up from a crass response to a more respectable class response. Every man faces adversity, but do not let your disappointment define you. Make your class response the person you strive to be.

I do not mean to confine human behavior to a dichotomous division of reaction, though. Naturally different reactions can span a broad spectrum.  One may observe a crass response that exhibits a bit of class, and, likewise, a class response may falter without losing its overall intention. As such, it would be impossible to exemplify to you each possible example of a response. But the observant person can learn to see crass and class responses in hisor her family, peers, and superiors, and thereby learn to improve himself from responses of others. Think of a time you may have witnessed a crass response. Consider the traits that person exhibited in the moment. Think, too, of a time when you may have witnessed a class response. What traits made that person’s response admirable? How can you mirror that person’s response in your own affairs?

In truth, the concept of crass and class responses may not be so foreign to many. Often, one can easily identify a reaction as one of the two categories. Humans are so good at this that we already do it subconsciously. Each person we encounter undergoes the scrutiny of human judgement. Using the concept of Crass to Class, you can go forth with a new tool in your repertoire for behavioral analysis. You can also utilize Crass to Class in your own responses to live a better life and develop better, stronger relationships at home, with friends, and at work.

NOTE:  This post is re-posted with permission from Andrew Tillman.  Andrew’s original post, as well as any edits and revisions he may have made, can be viewed here:  http://andrewtillman.com/2018/02/25/crass-to-class/