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Talkback is a
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TALKBACK by Helen Franks
Good and Bad Manners
And I don’t mean etiquette. I mean good and bad manners?
Thoughtfulness for others has gracious connotations.
When my son said he didn’t know what to write about for a letter
of condolence to a friend, I said she needs the compassion.
Write what you feel.
The ability to write what you feel depends on all
kinds of things: heartfelt sincerity, honesty, judicial
tactfulness.
There is a distinction between etiquette and good manners.
Etiquette requires you to go through the motions of politeness.
For instance, how you behave at the table constitutes etiquette.
Philosopher A.C. Grayling makes a distinction between good
manners and etiquette. He says, “Manners are central to the
true morality, the lubricant of social relations.”
Thoughtfulness is paramount in relation to good manners.
Do you willingly offer your seat to an elderly or disabled
person? Do you say thank you and acknowledge a fellow driver
who gives way for you?
If you do, you are good-mannered, and to quote A.C.Grayling
once more, “…they offer the paradigm of what a well-mannered
person should be.”
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helen@laterlife.com
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