“Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.”
Emily Post
Good manners are the foundations of a civil society and the stepping-stones to success.
A lack of good manners betrays selfishness and a lack of consideration for others. And there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that bad manners are a contributing factor to the endemic gun violence afflicting America.
It would behoove you to remember that a life devoid of polite social behavior will likely be full of potholes and detrimental to your social life and career development.
So, mind your manners!
Here are some of my personal pet-peeves:
Cell phone conversations in public
A phone conversation is private. Nobody else needs (or wants) to hear the tiresome details of your boring life. If you absolutely must make or answer a call, isolate yourself. Preferably in Death Valley.
Talking too loudly
A sign of insecurity. People trying to prove by noisy drivel that they are not as insignificant as the image they project.
Letting kids run wild.
Parents probably brought up by gypsies or flower children. Offspring likely to be affected by “affluenza”. Parents should be tarred and feathered.
Blocking the supermarket aisle with your cart
Extremely selfish. Reflects the true uncaring personality of the cart’s owner. Probably cuckolded, divorced or Scientologist.
Speeding through parking lots
Macho couch potato. Probably in a hurry to get back to “The Young and the Restless”. IQ below average. Should be barred from parking lots.
Ignoring or not using a vehicle’s turn signal on the freeway
Immature egomaniacal scofflaw. It is my freeway and I’ll speed if I want to. Me, me, me. Hell with the others. Never heard of the Golden Rule but given a chance would have joined the Golden Horde.
Litterbug
Thoughtless oaf. Second rate education. Morals of a horned toad.
“Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world, with 4.5 trillion discarded annually. Estimates on the required time for cigarette butts to break down vary. They range from five years to 400 years for complete degradation.”
Loud music
Uncaring. Begging for attention. Small penis.
Hogging the conversation
Self-centered. A conversation is like a Ping-Pong game. You need to close your mouth after you have (briefly) spoken, and wait for the ball to come back to your court before speaking again.
Not listening to other people
Self-absorbed. Not interested in anybody’s problems. Potential Jihadist.
Spitting in public
Inconsiderate. Should be sentenced in Singapore. (see caning in Singapore).
In conclusion, “Hurt no others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful” or “May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your crotch and may your arms be too short to scratch.”
Alain
A cockatoo with bad manners:
Watch some new pictures. Go to “My Photos”.