Politeness: Gone but certainly not forgotten
Last updated 11:14, Saturday, 29 March 2008
My mum would have been pleased to read a recent survey that said bad manners can damage your health.
She was a stickler for good manners. I always had to say please and thank you, no matter what; no elbows on the table while eating; no talking with my mouth full... and I was never allowed to leave the table until everyone had finished their meal.
At Christmas and birthdays I always had to write thank-you letters for the presents I’d received. I had to respect my elders and woe betide me if I gave my mother any back-chat.
According to the Campaign for Courtesy (an organisation dedicated to the promotion of good manners) it appears that discourtesy to others is one reason why there are so many people in hospital. Bad manners can lead to accidents on the road and people who can’t mind their “Ps and Qs” may be storing up health problems for themselves and others.
So what’s happened to good old-fashioned courtesy? Eighty three per cent of people think that Britain is in a moral decline.
Here are some of the things people miss from the old days: Shop assistants having conversations with you and smiling and making eye contact; Not having mobile phones interrupting a conversation, a meal, or even going off when you’re in the loo; People standing respectfully when a funeral cortege passes; People holding a door open for you when you followed them into a shop (and you thanked them); Gentlemen opening car doors for the ladies.
Remember also ladies, when gentlemen used to raise their hats when greeting you?
Other things the survey said that makes our blood boil today are: Swearing in public; Spitting in the street; shop assistants who ignore you when you are waiting to be served; Not having a real person at the end of the phone; Drivers who don’t use their indicators; children who are allowed to behave badly in public... the list is endless.
The survey concludes that remaining polite, smiling at people, and common courtesy can make you feel more positive and have a positive effect on your overall wellbeing.
Mum was right – as usual.
- What manners would you like to see return? Let Timeline know below.
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