Are manners still important today?

_source

---

When talking about manners, young people and children are typically the target audience. We want kids to learn appropriate behavior and how to project responsibility. But if you observe society as a whole, you will find that a significant portion of adults lack manners. You witness people shouting abusively at others or making insulting gestures on a daily basis at work, in public spaces, and elsewhere. Even in situations where there is no legitimate cause to act in such a manner, people continue to insult others.

When someone demands anything from another person, we also see poor manners in that person. Rather than addressing others with courteous phrases like "please," "pardon me," "Sir," and so on, people just give orders to others and hope they follow through. Therefore, how can we—adults, youth, and everyone else—turn things around in the face of the widespread lack of manners in today's society? How can we interact with people more considerately and politely? Treating people how we would like to be treated is a lesson we must learn.

So, how do we wish to be treated by others? Everyone desires to be treated with decency. Everyone appreciates being addressed and having a respectful conversation. Being yelled at makes us feel uncomfortable. When someone treats us like nothing, it hurts us greatly. If that's really how we feel, then we ought to make an effort to interact with people in a courteous and civil manner. Good manners help us build positive relationships with others, and most people will return the favor if we treat them with respect.

---