Manners are not old fashioned
I was preparing a presentation for a client on professionalism and as I was doing research and thinking about what it means to act like a professional, the subject of manners came up. I don’t think it’s old fashioned to use good basic manners such as opening or holding the door for someone else, offering to give up your seat to someone who needs it more than you, offering to help someone who is struggling to carry something, removing your hat indoors, saying please and thank you, keeping your voice down not to bother others, etc.
I see a lot of basic courtesy where I live, but I also see the lack of it. I hope basic courtesy is not out the window these days. Unfortunately, some people have not been taught basic courtesy, so they aren’t accustomed to it. It is too bad if we have let our standards go down so far as to think that kindness, thoughtfulness, and courtesy to others is unnecessary today.
My mother-in-law has told me countless times about how they didn’t take children everywhere like they do now. We learned that to go out was special so we had to use our special manners. Today families eat out regularly and go to all sorts of public places. I don’t think it is old fashioned to expect people to learn and use courtesy in these public places. It will not only prepare children for adult manners they will be expected to use in business, but it will also be a kinder, gentler world in which to live.
