The beauty of good manners

What on Earth happened to good manners? Good manners is something that is a fading idea in our society today. But how important are good manners? Do good manners have a place in our world today? Good manners are about being respectful. They are what make a society function smoothly: it is the lubricant for social interaction. We are living in a society after all!Showing good manners, using please and thank you, smiling while greeting someone, etc, are all ways of showing respect for the person you are interacting with, and indicating in a subtle way that they are important to you and that you are acknowledging their feelings. Everyone wants to feel acknowledged and respected. All social situations would be more pleasant if people would show this kind of consideration for each other. Good manners have fallen by the way side in life today as our culture is more concerned with speed over substance, getting things done more quickly, at the expense of quality or care. It is faster to push someone out of the way, whether physically or emotionally, than bother to take the time to respect them or put an effort to be pleasant. This is all part of our ‘fast food’ culture and the ‘me’ culture. Parents often seem to let their children sit in front of the TV, rather than spend time with them and teaching them how to go on with life. And, of course, children learn how to treat others according to how their parents conduct themselves, as the saying goes ‘Charity begins at home’. So the decline in manners continues. What does it cost you to say thank you? Or adding the word please onto the end of a request? How nice does it feel when someone actually smiles at you or takes the trouble to say ‘hello’? In fact, it also feels nice to be the one to bestow a kind word; it feels great, a bit like giving to charity. It can brighten a person’s whole day if they are feeling bad about anything. It reminds them that there are good people out there, who care, that society does still exist. It feels warm and friendly to both parties. Be nice to those you meet on the way up since you may just see them again on your way down. And the words ‘to the company’ are the ones to think about. It is not about the company, it is about one human being to another. We are all together on this earth, as equals, so let us be nice to each other it will make us all have a happier day! iruikmo@yahoo.com