The Decline…
of good manners.
Seriously. What ever happened to good manners in our society? I’ve noticed that fewer people make eye contact, say “excuse me” when walking/brushing/pushing their way past you, or say “please” or “thank you.” And these are the grown-ups. You can imagine the frustration and disappointment I feel when kids act exactly as rude as their parents do. Of course, this is quite ill-mannered of me to even notice and discuss. A well-mannered person would probably just let it go. But perhaps I am not that well-mannered, after all.
I know a group of children who never greet me when I walk in their door. (I see these kids at least once a month.) There is no acknowledgment, no “hello,” absolutely nothing. They look at me and just walk on. You might argue the fact that, well, they’re just kids. (From ages 2 to 8.) But to me it’s a huge sign of the deterioration of a well-mannered society. When I was younger, my parents encouraged/forced us to say hello when we walked into someone’s home. It was an acknowledgment of courtesy and respect. While children may not have the understanding or social grace to say “hello,” or “excuse me” or “thank you,” they model themselves after their parents. And it’s a testament to me of the rudeness of the adults they hang around with. Don’t you think a well-mannered adult would gently encourage their children by suggesting to them, “Can you say ‘hi’ to Karen?” Nothing from the kids, nothing from their parents. Shocker. Conversely, my conscientious neighbors have extremely well-mannered children, who always greet me with, “Hi Karen!” whenever I walk in their door. The contrast is stark.
Last night I called a neighbor to see if any of their daughters babysit. Keep in mind I’ve never talked to them other than saying a polite “hello” when I see them in the neighborhood. After I spoke with a parent, they passed the phone to their 12 year-old. I had no idea until I heard a different voice brusquely asked, “What time do you want me to babysit?” Um, hello? Who the blazes am I speaking with? Doesn’t normal phone etiquette dictate that you greet the person with a “hello?”
Perhaps we need to consider teaching etiquette and good manners in elementary school, along with financial responsibility and proper English grammar. What do you think?