What happened to taking hats off inside buildings?

What I would like to know is why etiquette (Western Chrisian etiquette, at least) demands that men remove their hats and that women should keep theirs on (if they are wearing them). I wonder how many of those men (assuming they are church-goers at all) would keep their baseball hats on in church! 'Manners' (that is to say, 'accepted rules of behaviour') are changing and many people are challenging (either consciously or not) those rules which no longer have any real meaning. Hats (and helmets) were designed, primarily, to protect the head from the inclemencies of the weather (and birds and other things that fall from on high). Later on it became polite to remove one's hat (as a symbol, I think, for a helmet) as a sign of politeness or deference to any person one met. One entered buildings, generally, as a guest of the inhabitant or owner (whether that were a human or a deity) and so it followed than one removed one's hat. Women did not (as a rule) wear armour, so a hat on a woman had a different significance, apart from its practical purpose. It was probably considered modest to cover the head, presumably to hide the hair, especially before God and before gentlemen who were not in one's intimate circle.

I agree, but I have noticed other mannerisms have gone out the window as well. Guys opening the doors for ladies. Guys and girls opening doors for the elderly...or helping them with their bags or inside if they need it. But then these day if they help them inside they might be staking them out to rob them. The world is changing and not for the better. My husband takes his hat off. But then he is a country boy from the south. As Sparks, she will tell you..lol We met her and her hubby almost 2 years ago. I wish things would not change like manners and respect. but unfortunately they do.

In the military,taking ones cap off was to show you were off duty,you were out of uniform once it was removed,and if the cap was left on,the person was on duty and could not stay nor drink with it on. In all veterans clubs,if you didn't take your cap off,it cost you a round for the house,then the Arab cultures made us change our way of life to suit theirs. I also am an older male that still follows the old ways, and take exception to this,if these people wish to come here,fine,but you should change to our way of life,not the other way around,sorry,but this is my belief.

My little brother is a hat wearer and it is actually rare to see him anywhere without a baseball cap on unless he is at work or at home. He would even come pick up his daughters from my house right after work and he would already have a hat on his head. I think that there are some places where it is inappropriate to wear hats, but I don't think that they always need to be taken off when you are inside a building.

Oopps! I raise my hand as I am guilty of this too. Although I rarely wear baseball caps, I do have a healthy collection in my closet, in the car, by the door etc. I keep my hair short so I don't have any problems wearing and taking them off when the occasion calls for it. But there are times when I'm too busy to go to a barber, and my hair is a mess of overgrown shrubs, that I cover it up with a cap. Even inside a building.

It has been an accepted fact nowadays for an individual to keep his hat on even when they are inside a building. You could see people inside malls and restaurants with their hats on while enjoying themselves. It is a practice that we could say is something of the past.

General courtesy in today's world seems to have gone the way of the Dodo bird. I think that parents failed to teach children proper etiquette and respect so they grew up not knowing about these things. Thus it will follow that future generations will not learn them either. I like owlwings response to this.

It's another silly custom of the past. Where's the rationale? Many traditions and customs are there just for old time's sake, nothing more. Same with a lot of things that are considered "polite" vs. "rude." No real morality issues or anything. Completely irrational, just like how the human race can be at times. . . Pretty pointless, the way I see it.

It's the hip-hop culture, I guess. I think it's deeply ingrained in those men's psyche is the image of "coolness" when they wear baseball caps anywhere. Besides, in hip-hop culture, there's no such thing as proper decorum. There are no manners to speak of. The cruder, the better, I think. Or maybe I'm looking into this a little too academically, I really don't know. Me? I don't wear hats inside buildings. That is what the roof is for. Putting on a hat is just redundant and illogical.

Taking your hat off when you entered a building used to be seen as a sign of respect. Now people are just annoyed if they are expected to remove their hats. Are they hiding a bad hair day or are the times changing that much?

For me you have the correct position of head.

I think taking hats off in a public building is now a thing of the past,I'm not for or against it but some thing just change, taking hats of in public buildings seems to be a thing of the past, I don't know but do you still see any more guys tipping hats when they see gals or acquaintances across the street? These seem to be a polite gesture a few years back. Guess times change and so does traditions, what was polite a few decades ago could be ignored in the present. Ya the rap culture where artists singing on concerts with baseball caps on or even inverted seems to to accepted now.

It seems usual in US I think. Although I don't like it. In my class, there always some boy wearing their hat, it seems to be normal and neither professor and student will question it. Back in my country, this thing will never happened because we all taught to take off hats inside a building, if some forget, others will probably remind him/her.