Where Have All the Manners Gone?
September 11, 2009 by Cherie
Filed under Misc. Ramblings
The question of manners is one I’ve been pondering a lot these last few days. After all, what has been happening to our world? Do we really think it’s a good idea to shout “You lie” to the President during a speech? Or how about deciding that you don’t want your kid to even hear a message to them about staying in school.
It’s not just the political world that seems to have lost its grasp on manners these days. People say they are sorry like it’s water, but it doesn’t stop them from behaving like (as Joe Buck would say) classless buffoons. One reason I wrote my diabetes book was to give people an idea of how to act around diabetics. Don’t march over to them, think you know everything about them, and start in about diet or what they have on their plate or whatever else you think you know about. Just don’t. Chances are, you’ll make yourself look rude and stupid in the process.
Does the whole world think sitting in a theater is the same as lounging in their living room? That when the President of the United States gives a speech it’s the same as going to the Rocky Horror Picture Show? There are times and places for things. Not every thought needs to be uttered at the moment you have it. And no, the world doesn’t need to know what you think on every single subject there is.
Having manners is more than just deferring to someone else. It’s allowing your very best self to show through. It’s taking time to listen to others so that you can actually learn something. It’s about being a true adult.
