Where have our manners gone?
By wlee9696
@wlee9696 (595)
United States
October 26, 2009 10:20pm CST
As I go through my day I see and meet a lot of people. It amazes me the number of people I see that do not have even the most basic of social manners. All ages of people. My parents actually taught us manners. How to act at dinner, use your inside voice, hold the door for people, smile, how to act at the movie theater, etc...
We always told our children Manners are free . Have you noticed this trend to the disintegration of social manners? What have you seen?
3 responses
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
27 Oct 09
Hi wlee, I can happily announce that manners still exist in Greece and the children are brought up with respect for others and manners too. The slower lifestyle here perhaps accounts for this as there is always time to greet someone with basic pleasantries.
@wlee9696 (595)
• United States
27 Oct 09
Greece sounds so nice thea09. I am going to have to visit there one day. Maybe I can start learning the language now - it will probably take me a while so I can visit in the near future. The scenery there looks absolutely breathtaking. I think I would really like it. I know I would appreciate the good manners.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Nov 09
They do say 7 years for the language as it's a killer to learn. I'm sure we'll let you in with the basics, a smile, some greetings, obviously a please and a thank you, and you'll be welcomed. Be prepared for even that to baffle you though as when you say thank you the person will respond with the word please which you've mastered to pronounce. The books might not tell you it also means 'you're welcome'.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
27 Oct 09
All of the good manners moved down here to the south! Actually, my youngest daughter who moved here with us when she was about 13 probably has the worst manners in the entire town. Her boyfriend of almost 2 years still calls me "ma'am" and my husband "sir" and she's still using just "yes" or "no". My oldest grandson, who is 9 has great manners...so he makes up for her! 
@wlee9696 (595)
• United States
27 Oct 09
Alright - something we agree on! I am encouraged, I knew we could find some common ground. We live in the mid atlantic and it's a lot different from the south where we are from. I have always been a ma'am and sir type of person, even now as a middle aged adult I still use those terms daily. My children do too. I actually had someone get angry with me and tell me not to call them ma'am cause it made them feel old. But so many people are just curt and outright rude to people. I try to always thank the checkout teller, the person who held the door or anyone who does anything that is helpful. It doesn't cost a penny to be pleasant and utilize good manners. I find it especially beneficial to employ my best manners when I meet up with someone who obviously doesn't have any.
@onlinemoneyjourney (235)
• Australia
27 Oct 09
I agree. The world is in total disarray these days. Generally speaking, people have less manners than a decade ago. It is unbelievable how people interact with one another... it's as though they think people are lepers. Manners are far and few. Gone are the days when children were seen and not heard. Today they are in adult conversation and feel it is their right to be. My parents taught me well too and I pound manners into my children. We have to respect each other, we are sharing this earth together. In saying that, no wonder there is so much mayhem going on - we have little respect for other humans!
It's about time we were a bit more tolerant of others, a bit more courteous and respectful. None of us own this planet or any human on it. IMO those that are rude feel like the world owes them something or they are simply 'better' than you. It's B.S. Can the problem be solved? Doubt it. We are so deep and so involved with our own little world that we actually care less about other people. Very sad in deed.
