Monkey Boy
Joined: Sep 26, 2004
Posts: 623
Location: Portugal/London
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I wanted to start a topic about this for a while, but I had no idea how to start... as you can probably tell I still don't! but here goes anyway... (suddenly thinks of a way to start!)
I was on the london underground the other week and I happened to be trying to observe myself. It was only a single journey, and yet on this single journey alone I found that I said "Sorry" five times! Each and every time it happened I was saying sorry before I had even realised what it was that I had done, if I had indeed done anything, and before I had considered if it actualy warranted an apology. I was a robot, blurting out "Sorry" like a reflex.
Other examples of this kind of thing are how I seem to say "Thank You" so much. Even when I don't mean it. Just because it seems to be the "Etiquette" to do so.
Also whenever we meet someone it is costumary to ask "How are you?" or "How are you doing?"..... but do we really care about the other person is doing? would we really listen if they actually started telling us all about how they are.
When being brought up as a kid, should we be taught to say thank you to everything, even when we aren't really thankful? to be part of this etiquette should we sacrifice the real until it all just comes out at the push of a button?
I also remember that if you do not follow etiquette, it can really, *really* upset people. Like for instance, I don't hold my spoon in what many people consider the proper way. And it really upsets some people, they get extremely angry with me and it really, truely bothers them. to be honest sometimes i hold it that way on purpose just to see peoples reactions, but really its just because I feel more comfortable holding it like that.
Is it really worth it? is it worth all that energy and anger and anguish?
When is etiquette necessary? Is it just another thing that is keeping us apart and that can be let go?
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Teal´c : To resist the influence of others, knowledge of oneself is most important. |
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Joined: Aug 06, 2005
Posts: -521
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I absolutely hate shaking hands. It seems to be something you only do with strangers and the last thing I want to do is touch a stranger. And then, when you get to know someone a little better they expect a 'mwah mwah' and I hate that even more. I like to choose who I touch but it's sometimes difficult to avoid these situations without hurting feelings.
In the area I live 'How are you' seems to have been replaced with 'Alright?' and I'm left wondering if I should let them know how I am or just repeat the word straight back so that it sort of becomes a replacement for hello.
But I strongly believe that no harm can be done by saying thank you and sorry and smiling more often  |
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