Manners matter! One of the most important lessons we can learn in life is the art of good manners. Good manners create goodwill and are a reflection of who we are. A recent survey says that good manners are harder to find than ever and it seems that we may be losing touch with what etiquette and good manners are all about. The study indicated that more than 50% of Americans are concerned about the growing rudeness in the U.S. That means that you — yes you — are either concerned about rudeness or being rude! Wonder where you fall on the scale? I’ve identified five things that you might be doing and have no idea. We’ll start with #5 and work our way down.
5 – Never remove dinner plates from the table until all are finished. This happens at restaurants all the time and infuriates me. The person still eating is compelled to hurry and finish their meal.
4 – Breaking bread with a cell phone. There are those who think it’s okay to not only take a call during meals but to begin a voice or text conversation. If you must receive calls during dinner, the polite thing to do is to tell your dinner partner before dinner that you are expecting a call or text and when it arrives, excuse yourself from the table. Not doing so is to ignore your companion and sends the wrong message.
3 – RSVP is an abbreviation for the French phrase “Respondez S’il Vous Plait.” In English, RSVP stands for “Reply Please”.
If someone is nice enough to invite you to a party, the least you can do is let them know if you are planning on attending.
2 – If you choose to smoke, never put your cigarette out on the sidewalk, street, or floor. And absolutely never throw it out of a car window. If you are outside, put the cigarette out on the bottom of your shoe and then throw it in a waste basket.
1 – Wrong number. Never just hang up on someone if you have reached them in error. Apologize first, confirm your number and then thank them.
So how did you do? The good news is that no matter what, there will always be those of us who will say “thank you,” “you’re welcome,” “excuse me,” and “May I”.
And for that, I will say, “Thank you!”
And there you have it.