In the modern age, we’ve seen many things go the way of the dinosaur. Dot matrix printers. Audio and video cassettes. The Pets.com dog puppet. Manners.
Perhaps the demise of that last archaic trait is the most unfortunate. The decline of courtesy is more apparent than ever, marking a sad trend in old values.
We’ve all heard it before. Everyone probably has a story to tell about a rude cell phone incident by now; someone yakking away on their Nokia while the movie is playing — nobody can hear Leonardo DiCaprio’s voice but they now know that Shirley will meet Will at 6 p.m at Starbucks.
Unfortunately, the noticeable lack of manners is not restricted merely to the mobile-device realm. Even though college-age students are not exactly noted for their etiquette, the depths of rudeness probably would astound even the Jackass folks, or at least Adam Sandler.
A typical lecture serves as an ideal example. Students who arrive early sit on the fringes of the rows of seats as if Peterson 108 is a Boeing 747. No window seats here, so the late-arriving students who don’t want to be fire hazards shove themselves towards the middle of the rows. Both types of students contribute to an annoyingly disruptive atmosphere. The late students have a way of briskly pushing themselves into the rows without apology. The early students attach themselves to the edges so as to bolt as fast as they can after the last word is spoken.
A worse crime is kicking and putting feet on chairs. It is not a hard concept: If a person is sitting in a seat, they will not appreciate their backs being barraged. Nor will they appreciate seeing chipped pedicures protruding out of dirty flip-flops three inches from his or her face. In addition, many students use lecture time as social hour. I, too, am often guilty of whispering to my neighbors instead of jotting down notes.
The worst offense, however, has to be totally disregarding the professor. Students pack up as early as half an hour before the end of class as soon as they hear the words “”next”” or “”later.”” As soon as a couple of students pack up their papers, the whole class sees it as cue to join the symphony of rustling, bustling and hustling.
A sadder example often occurs during 10th week. Last time I checked, it was customary to applaud after the last lecture. Not only do some whole classes bypass acknowledging the professor through applause, but they also walk out while the professor is still talking. I, too, want to sample the sweet sunshine before finals week, but can’t it wait? Even the most monotone-voiced, mundane-disposed professors deserve some sort of recognition.
Other crimes include blowing smoke in people’s faces and walking painstakingly slow down or up the Price Center stairs. If I want carcinogens floating into my facial orifices, I’ll suck a car exhaust pipe, thank you very much.
Road rage is another classic example of complete paucity of courtesy. It’d be surprising to find anyone who has not experienced or conveyed that sense of automobile-driven contempt. Getting cut off, tailed or honked at can aggravate even the most placid of temperaments. Once this bomb has detonated, the manners book is thrown out the window.
Road rage channels a smorgasboard of typical symptoms of rudeness — cussing, gestures and even physical aggression. Cutting in line, gratuitously swearing loudly and interrupting conversations are also unfortunately common.
Kindness and courtesy look to be somewhat rare, if irrelevant, in the push-shove, fast-paced lifestyle of the 21st century. I suppose nowadays, many think that if a male opens a door for a female, he is being a sexist pig who assumes girls cannot do it for themselves. It’s too bad this tainted cynicism is so rampant; after all, what’s wrong with just trying to be polite?
When it comes down to it, courtesy is just a matter of treating others the way one would like to be treated. As childish as that sounds, increasingly self-centered adults continue to forget this well-known virtue.
Politeness goes past mere “”pleases”” and “”thank-you’s,”” if even that. Beyond the dinner table, treating others and even surroundings (a sidewalk lined with candy wrappers and cigarette butts is sadly all too common) with respect is not as prevalent as it should be. Even just staying quiet during a film is a practice of courtesy. For the more ambitious, opening a door or offering a hand with groceries is a greatly appreciated gesture.
Although sometimes manners are associated with unnecessary rigidity and repression in today’s world, common courtesy does not have to be an extraordinary practice. To simply recognize that others are affected by an individual’s actions is to reduce lack of courtesy consciousness.
Daily life could be much more enjoyable if people actually cared and paid attention to how they acted. The preservation of this principle would be a better testament to how far our civilization has gone. Technology is wonderful, yes, but a human touch cannot be replaced by any advances, inventions or discoveries. Courtesy, as old-fashioned as it seems, is in fact timeless.