Confessions of a Corporate Shopaholic

How many of the following do you think are out-dated or behind the times?  Alternatively, how many of the following are long-gone and you just wish they would make a second coming?  The ony thing I know for sure is that I am hopelessly attracted to people who have good manners, and even though I am hardly the perfect gentleman, I would like to see myself striving to become one.  I like Emily Post’s saying: “Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others.  If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter which fork you use.”

Good Old Fashioned Manners

1. Saying please and thank you
2. Never intentionally embarrassing another
3. Never talking only about oneself
4. Not gossiping
5. Not prying
6. Not asking personal questions
7. Not staring
8. Not pointing at someone
9. Dressing appropriately
10. Not talking loudly
11. Not asking intrusive personal questions

A list of Good Greeting Manners

1. Smile
2. Repeat that person’s name when introduced to you
3. Remember their name!
4. Ask How are you?
5. Answer your questions with positivity
6. Respect boundaries especially if it is a first time meeting
7. Say nice to meet you, lovely meeting you.

A list of Good Dining Manners

1. Sit with good posture
2. Lay the napkin on your lap
3. Start eating only when the host has started
4. If there is no obvious ‘host’, wait for everyone else before you start eating.
5. Keep your mouth closed when chewing.
6. Take small bites.
7. Eat quietly.
8. Say excuse me when you have to use the restroom
9. Keep your area clean and tidy.
10. No double dipping unless you are dining with a culture where all the dishes are shared.

A list of Good Miscellaneous Manners

1. Sit and walk straight. Maintain good posture at all times.
2. Laugh, smile, giggle, cry with dignity. Do not make a scene.  Do not slap your knees, jerk forward or roar with your mouth wide open when you laugh or bawl loudly at the sidewalk when you are sad.
3. Try to make as little noise as possible in all situations. (when you eat, walk, talk, sit, run etc.) No slurping, chewing noisily, crunching, e.g. cracking knuckles.
4. Mobile Phone Etiquette: Do not be occupied with your phone when with people.
5. Smile, be interested in the surroundings. ‘Reverse engineer’. Can you imagine Audrey Hepburn looking bored at a dinner party, even though she has attended hundreds?
6. Dress appropriately. It is generally rude to call a certain attention to yourself. Such as wearing jeans to a wedding, looking sloppy etc.
7. Speak properly.  Make it habit to pronounce your words and use correct grammar. Refrain from mumbling or speaking too fast. Avoid slang, calling people by their pet names or short forms unless you are close to them. Speak as grammatically correctly as you can.
8. Never assume anything about anyone.  “She’s so rich, it’ll be okay if I don’t pay her back for lunch.”   “He’s the guy, I should not offer to pay for parking.”   “Someone will take surely give you a lift home.”
9. Never touch another person’s things or children unless invited to.
10. To be on the safe side, never talk about money. “How much does it cost?”, “What did you pay for your house?”, “How much do you earn?”, “How much do you make from your business.”,”What is your commission like?” etc.