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Abstract

g.</p><p id="d1ba">What’s this got to do with being polite I hear you cry?</p><p id="3a95">Everything.</p><h1 id="1e10">Shortcuts</h1><p id="7fb4">With just about anything you could imagine, and a little bit extra for good measure, being moved on to the WWW, everything became faster.</p><p id="2db6">Our tolerance for waiting became so short that even waiting for an advert on TV is a real source of frustration. Don’t believe me? You should see how my four-year-old reacts when a 30-second ad interprets her favourite YouTube show. It’s not pretty. I’m only joking; she’s adorable.</p><p id="5ad6">The point though is that we want everything right now, no faster, arghh what’s taking so long?!</p><p id="66c3">As everything started to move quicker, we began to create shortcuts. We would strip everything back to its absolute minimum. Can you remember the days we’d text “C U L8R”? What was that all about [Crying Face Emoji].</p><p id="37de">We used to sign an e-mail with “From Dave”, this got shortened to “Dave” on a text and to pretty much nothing on a Whatsapp — maybe an “x” or two if you’re lucky.</p><p id="20f4">It’s this constant need to abbreviate, to make things quicker that has crossed over to everyday speech and mannerisms.</p><p id="548d">We like to think we’re too busy. Too important for the niceties, but you know what, I miss them, and I think the world does too.</p><h1 id="77eb">Manners</h1><p id="7dbb">Manners are one of those things that we have complete control over. No one can ever force you to be polite. It has to come from you. It has to be something you believe.</p><p id="62be">It’s funny because as parents, we always tell our children to say please and thank you, but come adulthood, and it becomes al

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most acceptable to forget all about this. Hence my surprise when someone e-mailed, almost in shock, to say I had been polite.</p><p id="8af7">Call me old fashioned, but manners are the level of a man (or woman). I believe in being a gentleman. I believe in showing gratitude. I believe in helping and putting others first.</p><p id="a78e">All of these things are important, none more so than the others.</p><blockquote id="980d"><p><b>“Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.” — Clarence Thomas</b></p></blockquote><p id="6a46">They’re values I was brought up on, I’d hate to see them become extinct in my lifetime, but we have to act, and it starts with you. Me. Us.</p><h1 id="f7cb">What Can I Do?</h1><p id="abb8">Don’t lose your belief in manners. Hold the door for the person behind you, be on time, acknowledge the driver who let you pass. Say please, and thank you to the server who brought your drink over.</p><p id="844f">When you meet someone new, shake their hand. Look the person in the eye and properly introduce yourself.</p><p id="3da8">Politeness isn’t complicated; just think of the golden rule of treating others how you want to be treated, and you won’t go far wrong.</p><h1 id="7476">Final Thoughts</h1><p id="80f8">Manners open up a world around us, get these basics down, and it’ll help you in whatever life path you choose.</p><p id="d8ac">Start with yourself first, and then expect politeness and good manners in those around you.</p><h1 id="3764">Before You Go</h1><p id="fc42">Thanks for being here. I’d love to keep in touch so <a href="http://eepurl.com/gRHpsf">join my mailing list</a> now for semi-regular e-mails about what’s been occupying my mind over recent weeks.</p></article></body>

The World Wide Web Robbed Us of Our Manners

Can we have them back now? Please? :)

Earlier today someone replied to an e-mail I’d sent, which read, “You’re so polite!”. Nothing more and nothing less, that was the e-mail in its entirety.

I have to say it took me by surprise and if I’m honest, I couldn’t even remember what I had written to warrant such a reply.

To jog my memory, I took a scroll the bottom of the message to find out for sure. Do you know what it was that I said?… “Thanks!”.

It got me thinking.

Politeness should be a given. While I’m grateful that someone went out of their way to comment on it, they didn’t have to. Manners, in general, should be expected. They cost nothing at all, but they can open up the world to us.

So what went wrong?

Introducing the World Wide Web

I haven’t been in this world long enough to know for sure, but I imagine, our emphasis on manners started its decline shortly after 6th August 1991 — the date the world wide web was made publicly available.

Within a couple of years, the first online stores started to pop up, then it was online banking and now just about anything.

What’s this got to do with being polite I hear you cry?

Everything.

Shortcuts

With just about anything you could imagine, and a little bit extra for good measure, being moved on to the WWW, everything became faster.

Our tolerance for waiting became so short that even waiting for an advert on TV is a real source of frustration. Don’t believe me? You should see how my four-year-old reacts when a 30-second ad interprets her favourite YouTube show. It’s not pretty. I’m only joking; she’s adorable.

The point though is that we want everything right now, no faster, arghh what’s taking so long?!

As everything started to move quicker, we began to create shortcuts. We would strip everything back to its absolute minimum. Can you remember the days we’d text “C U L8R”? What was that all about [Crying Face Emoji].

We used to sign an e-mail with “From Dave”, this got shortened to “Dave” on a text and to pretty much nothing on a Whatsapp — maybe an “x” or two if you’re lucky.

It’s this constant need to abbreviate, to make things quicker that has crossed over to everyday speech and mannerisms.

We like to think we’re too busy. Too important for the niceties, but you know what, I miss them, and I think the world does too.

Manners

Manners are one of those things that we have complete control over. No one can ever force you to be polite. It has to come from you. It has to be something you believe.

It’s funny because as parents, we always tell our children to say please and thank you, but come adulthood, and it becomes almost acceptable to forget all about this. Hence my surprise when someone e-mailed, almost in shock, to say I had been polite.

Call me old fashioned, but manners are the level of a man (or woman). I believe in being a gentleman. I believe in showing gratitude. I believe in helping and putting others first.

All of these things are important, none more so than the others.

“Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.” — Clarence Thomas

They’re values I was brought up on, I’d hate to see them become extinct in my lifetime, but we have to act, and it starts with you. Me. Us.

What Can I Do?

Don’t lose your belief in manners. Hold the door for the person behind you, be on time, acknowledge the driver who let you pass. Say please, and thank you to the server who brought your drink over.

When you meet someone new, shake their hand. Look the person in the eye and properly introduce yourself.

Politeness isn’t complicated; just think of the golden rule of treating others how you want to be treated, and you won’t go far wrong.

Final Thoughts

Manners open up a world around us, get these basics down, and it’ll help you in whatever life path you choose.

Start with yourself first, and then expect politeness and good manners in those around you.

Before You Go

Thanks for being here. I’d love to keep in touch so join my mailing list now for semi-regular e-mails about what’s been occupying my mind over recent weeks.