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You might scuff at the idea of good manners being present in today’s day and age, but good manners never go out of style. In the politically correct world we live in, it is more important now than ever to be polite and courteous when interacting with anyone. You might think that you were raised well enough to have the proper etiquette necessary to survive in society, but as they say, no one notices tact whereas tactlessness is noticed by everybody. Sure, there are some obvious rules that have been ingrained into all of us since birth like saying “please” and “thank you” but what about those unobvious rules that reveal that you really did have a good upbringing? You may already follow them without knowing because you’ve never thought about them or you may have missed the mark completely. Either way, here are a few unobvious etiquette rules that reveal a good upbringing.
1. Home And Guests
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Don’t feel the need to make excuses about the mess in your house due to repairs or just a busy work week. This does nothing but shows disrespect to the house owner themselves. You invite guests into your space because you trust them not to judge you. It’s the guest’s job to respect that and accept your home for the way it is. Besides, overly apologizing for your home being a certain way will only make your guest feel uncomfortable and like they are not supposed to be there even though they were invited.
Similarly if you’d like your guests to follow a house rule like taking their shoes off when they enter, it’s best to give them prior notice. Make sure you have some house slippers set aside for them to use instead. Remember that offering them your own slippers is indecent. Keep a fresh pair for your guests if you’d rather they not trample your carpets with their outside slides on.
2. Car Etiquette
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It goes without saying that if you borrow a car from a friend or anyone else, the general rule is to fill up the gas that you have used. You can also go the extra mile and make sure the tank is full, but never hand it back empty. Also make sure that the interior is neat and kept clean.
If you’re on a roadtrip with your friends, remember that the person you sit next to the driver has to be responsible too. It’s impolite and even dangerous when a passenger sitting near a driver is consumed with their phone or sleeps. Good manners and safety rules suggest that it is best to have calm and engaging conversation while refraining from making any distracting gestures. Make sure to pause the conversation at appropriate times so that the driver can focus on the road and no matter what you do, don’t fall asleep!
3. Communication
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It doesn’t matter who you are talking to and what setting you’re in, communication is key! If you cancel a meeting, an appointment or even a hang out session with your friends, you should be the one who takes the initiative to arrange the meeting at a later date. This way you show respect to the other person and your relationship with them.
Similarly when you are introduced to someone new, make sure to shake their hand while standing up. If you are the one doing the introductions after seeing an acquaintance outside, make sure to make conversation with them so they feel comfortable. If you’ve forgotten the name of someone you know, admit it simply instead of stepping around the conversation. It is far more polite, dignified and considerate.
4. Phone Etiquettes
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你不认为没有规则来使用technology did you? In the modern world of the internet when people are never really out of reach, there are some rules that you must follow when trying to contact someone. If you’ve rung them once and they didn’t pick up, there is no need to keep calling them if it isn’t an emergency. Give them at least an hour or two to see that they’ve received and call and get back to you.
It’s also a better idea to text someone instead of calling them if it isn’t an urgent message or anything of importance. People are busy and lead stressful lives. And most of them don’t have the time to have long conversations about nothing if they weren’t already scheduled in. So before you hit the call button ask yourself if you could just text them instead.
You may think that you have everything figured out on the manners front but there’s always room to learn more. Did you know any of these etiquette rules before reading the article? Let us know in the comments section.
