Having good manners should come as naturally to us as breathing. Our actions are a reflection as to the type of people we are. If we hope to benefit from how we present ourselves, then good manners are essential for our social, personal and work relationships to succeed in today’s society.
The golden rule of treating another the way that you want to be treated should never be forgotten. Therefore, be a good listener or do a kind thing for a friend. After all, kindness and showing consideration and empathy for other people’s feelings speaks volumes of your character. Likewise, it shows you as thoughtful and caring, which is an attractive quality for friends, family, employer, coworkers, and all the other people you connect with in life. With good manners, others react positively toward you in the same way.
On the other hand, lack of manners or bad manners only alienates those around you. For example, the next time that you have something to say about someone’s outfit, hair, something they cooked, etc., then hold your tongue if you first inclination is to belittle them. Some people feel power in giving insults and then pass them off as jokes. However, this is hurtful to the recipient and far from expressing good manners. If you hope to win friends, gain love and advancement in your career, then say nothing or find something good to say about whatever it is.
You may be at an event, a party, a meeting or other gathering to notice someone, apparently feeling awkward standing alone instead of mingling. Make the first move to talk and be welcoming because some people find it difficult, which is a display of good manners.
When a person extends a hand to shake yours, don’t pull it away. If you feel germ-conscious, carry a bottle of hand sanitizer with you or head to the rest room once you do.
Good manners help train us to use gratitude in our dealings with others. Some people believe that wealth and power gives them automatic entitlement and the express privilege of forgoing thoughts of kindness or thanks for those they consider beneath them.
Let me illustrate a strange, but true story. A male relative was in the hospital and sharing a room with another patient. This man in the next bed was very nice, but his daughter was a piece of work. She walked into the hospital room using her hand to shield her eyes as not to glance at the other bed or us as she hurried to pull the curtain and risk possibly making eye contact. This woman obviously felt her apparent wealth gave her the right to be rude instead of just being civil. If sharing a hospital room was so undignified, then she always could have demanded a private room.
Her exaggerated thoughts of entitlement were not limited just to us, but extended to others. Through the curtain, this woman would constantly demean her help and only refer to them as objects such as “cook” instead of by their names. Who else could this entitled woman think was beneath her and unworthy of respect? How did she treat the nanny, acquaintances that were not that important in her social sphere, teachers, etc? If there was ever a reversal of fortune and she lost it all, then a woman like that would be doomed since good manners are foreign to her.
Remember, if you hope to leave a good impression, then you should make good manners a priority as the best way to leave your mark in the world.
This is so true and great advice. Unfortunately some.. well most people lack good manners. Great post.
I am southern and was taught manners. And I have to say it really shocks me the people that don’t even say thank you for anything. Manners are something you should learn as a kid and use them all your life