Basic Rules Of Etiquette And MANNERS

Basic rules of Etiquette and MANNERS

As a child you must have been told to greet your elders and visitors to your home according to your culture and tradition. You must also have been taught to be polite in the company and keep quiet while others, especially your elders, spoke. Possibly, you at times grudged such schooling.   Possibly, at times you even protested such disciplining. Now, certainly, you know that you can’t always behave the way you want especially in the presence of others. There are rules of behavior you have to follow in a company. We are social beings and have to consider the effect of behavior on others, even if we are at home and dealing with our family members.

We have two terms to describe our social behaviors- ‘Etiquette’’ and ‘manners’. Etiquette is a French word meaning the rules of correct behavior in society. The word manner means the behavior that is considered to be polite in a particular society or culture.

Here are some basic rules of etiquette:

• Ø Respect other’s personal space
• Ø Don’t interrupt when someone else is talking
• Ø Be a helper
• Ø Be on time
• Ø Don’t tell yell in public
• Ø Eat politely
• Ø Chew with your mouth closed
• Ø Stand in queue

Here are some thoughtful observations on manners and etiquette from some famous people:

 ‘Respects for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners’-LAURENCE STERNE

‘Life is short, but there is always time enough for courtesy.’RALPH WALDO EMERSON

‘The real test of good manners is to be able to put up with bad manner.’KAHLIL GIBRAN

‘Handsome is what handsome does.’J R R TOLKIEN

‘Politeness is a sign of dignity, not subservience.’THEODORE ROOSEVELT

‘A man’s manner is a mirror in which he shows his portrait’JOHAN WOLFGANG von Goethe

‘Whoever interrupts the conversation of others to make a display of his fund of knowledge makes notorious his stock of ignorance?’SHEIKH SA’DI

‘Etiquette is a fine-tuning of education.’NADINE DAHER

Family Etiquette:

• Ø  Respect each other’s belongings
• Ø  Do not shout at children. Treat them kindly
• Ø  Listen to your parents

Basic Social Etiquette:

• Ø  Always be on time.  Showing up late is rude and shows a lack of respect for other people’s time.
• Ø  Never interrupt the other person while he/she is talking
• Ø  Give and receive compliments graciously
• Ø  Refuse to gossip with and about friends
• Ø  Hold doors for propels entering immediately after you

Professional Etiquette:

• Ø Dress properly
• Ø Shake hands when appropriate
• Ø Never take credit for other people’s work.
• Ø Use indoor voice while talking to people