“Manners maketh man.” Do you know what that means? Then let me teach you a lesson. What a great quote from the film, Kingsman: The Secret Service where Colin Firth played the part of Harry Hart.
I though of that quote while observing some young lads at a recent football match I watched. They were giving one of the players some grief and abuse and I thought it would be great to have taught them some manners. It really annoyed me and, for a while, I muttered under my breath but it was relentless so, as you can imagine, I did make a comment and it seemed to have an affect for a short time.
I find it inconceivable and unacceptable for people not to have a basic understanding of what is right or wrong. Manners cost nothing and they can demonstrate all that is good about being a nice human being, or not.
We are taught from an early age, about manners, but they can be improved at any stage of life. Sometimes I forget to say thank you and take some things for granted, but I hope, that most of the time, I get it right. My Dad was known as a gentleman and a gentle man and he was old fashioned when it came to manners and I admire him (still) for that.
I was working with some bus drivers last week and I couldn’t believe some of the stories they told me about their customers and how they are treated as drivers. I never really thought about it before but they must get all sorts of abuse from certain people, especially late at night after people have had a few drinks!
As Christmas is approaching and the shops are bustling, with customers panic buying, I wonder how many shop assistants will get abuse and given grief by rude and angry people. We never know the impact we can have on another person’s life, just by the way we talk to them. If we are rude it could be the last straw, for some people, and they go home and cry or hand in their notice. If we are nice, they could go home and have a nice evening with their families – the ripple affect is more than the initial conversation.
I would like to think we will all have a positive impact and be polite and kind, even if the other person is having a bad day! I am going to be extra nice, see the good in people and make their day, if I can, by just having good manners.