Is it really more than table manners, phone etiquette or how to
behave in public?
Of course it is, but you have to fundamentally care about your actions. I theorize that you cannot
be decent without empathy. This is why narcissists rarely behave in an acceptable manner. How
many people still open doors for other people or put their shopping carts away? Recognizing the
needs of other species is one of the greatest strengths of humanity; ignoring the suffering and
needs of any life on this planet is a travesty.
Saying thank you and you are welcome seems terribly basic, but there are those among us who
do not feel obligated to have such exchanges. Have you ever put on a turn signal in South East
Florida or strolled through CostCo on the weekend? There are simply things you should not do,
and I am going to explain them out.
Manners maketh man
Take your dogs for car rides frequently, and pick up trash that someone else may have tossed
on the floor. Here is a starter kit for decency:
- Say thank you when someone has performed a service for you.
- Reply with you are welcome when someone thanks you for your service
- Tell the truth; be genuine, strong, and specific in your exchanges
- Spend time with your parents and grandparents
- Ask a stranger how they are doing
Some of these most basic gestures go a million miles away. I don’t always do what my dogs
demand of me, but I certainly try to make their lives happier every second. I make that daily
phone call to check on my parents, and I ask friends how they are doing if they are going
through tough times.
Common decency is an awareness of those souls that surround our lives, and a personal
standard of mine to behave in a respectful, real or authentic way.
Last but not least, when you cut your food the tines of your fork should face downward, and
switch your fork to your less dominant hand to enter your mouth. Because when it is all said and
done, the Earth is all we have in common.