Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Manners: Use Them

You're having a rough day. You just finished work/class/your school day, and you're ready to just get home and relax. You're on your way out of the building, and you notice someone trailing behind you. Like the kind person you are, you hold it open for them. Then, the walk right through the door, ignoring your very presence. You're pissed, right? They couldn't even say thank you?

That's right, people. Today is about manners. Us nice people love to dole them out because it's in our nature, but to others, they appear as if they don't even care. If the first paragraph doesn't apply to you, you better get reading, because I guarantee that you will win some respect with some manner usage.

I think of manners as just the simple "please" and "thank you" and "You're welcome"'s that we say to people at the appropriate times. Also saying "God bless you" when someone sneezes is a form of manners. They really aren't that to use, so why can't people just use them? Saying "thank you" when someone does something nice for you, and saying "you're welcome" in return is very simple to do. Even holding the door open for someone is super simple. It just bewilders me that people just can't use manners.

Getting a "thank you" out of someone seems to be like pulling teeth (to me) anymore. Of course, I'm on a college campus, in which it seems no one knows how to operate like a decent human being (just a generalization. Not EVERYONE in college is like that. Just a lot.) I'll admit, sometimes I forget to hold a door open, mostly because I'm too trapped in my own brain to realize it, but I usually look behind me to see if anyone is coming. If they are, I hold it open for them. Now, when they say thank you, it makes me feel like they appreciated what I did. When they don't, I immediately lose respect for them. It's not my job to hold doors open for people I don't know. I could easily just let it close on them, but I wouldn't, because I'm polite. Not only does it make them seem rude, but it also makes them appear to be "too good" for anyone. Seriously: Swallow your pride and say thank you. It's not that hard.

"Please" is also really freakin' easy to use. Yet, almost everyone forgets to use it. It's really not that hard to just add it to a request. "Can you hand me the stapler, please?" See? It's so easy. I feel as if it's so easy, that I start refusing things to my friends because they don't use it. It's also not my job to hand people things, so not saying please is like not even wanting it in the first place. If you can't even say please, why are you trying to ask me to do something for you?

Another one that bugs me is when people try to get by you without saying "excuse me". Some people just think squeezing by you in that tight space that's smaller than an ant, and nearly knocking you over is just fine. Though, I'm sure the person they nearly ran over had some choice words for them. Saying excuse me is also simple to do, and it makes things easier on you, because 9/10 times that you say it, the person you're saying it to will move out of the way.

Saying excuse me to get someone's attention (usually if they're speaking to someone already) is another important concept to remember. Just saying "hey!" or "*insert name here*!" over and over again becomes quite annoying. However, simply said those two magical words will grant you a glorious path to victory! If what you have to say is truly that important to you, saying "excuse me" is the least of your worries.

See? Using manners is simple, and I guarantee that it will make you appear to be a better, more respectable person if you use them. For those who don't use them normally, try it. You'll probably get a smile or two from someone. However, if you run into someone who doesn't like manners, well...maybe you should refer them to this post. Living in a mannerless world is such a scary thing to think about.

Song of the Week!
"Asleep" by Emily Browning. It's one of the single most beautiful songs I've ever heard, and I get chills every time I hear it. Not only is this song good, but the movie is pretty amazing as well. Check it, yo.

Also, don't forget to vote in the poll on the top left corner of my blog! Your input is appreciated!

That's all for now! Have a great day!

No comments:

Post a Comment