Etiquette
Posted by Cyn
As many other people have observed, common courtesy isn’t necessarily common. Over the last five years, I have observed that many of my contemporaries seem to have gaping holes in their understanding of etiquette. While I do not consider myself any kind of authority, and I know that I do not have any grasp of truly formal etiquette at all, I find it difficult to understand some of the behaviors that seem all too common.
While I didn’t take anyone but our three kids to raise, and it is not, therefore, my place to teach social acquaintances how to behave, my life would be more pleasant if some of those people were to change their behavior. Unfortunately, those who are most likely to offend are also least likely to realize that they have problems or seek to change. Rather than simply excluding them from my life (as I will do if their offenses are frequent and/or egregious), I decided to make some small attempt at helping people who wish to change.
I originally published all three of these articles in my blog, and requested comments from friends. I am indebted to them for their contributions.
Last updated August 9, 2003
