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Quest
Rudeness: the in thing?
CHANDRIKA. R. KRISHNAN
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Courtesy and good manners seem to be giving way to bad manners.
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A recent Reader’s Digest survey on “ How polite are you?” showed that old-fashioned chivalry and courtesy seem to be giving way to rudeness and discourtesy. The following examples bear testimony to this.
A lady rang on my husband’s mobile and directed him to pass the phone to me without an “if you please.”
A young couple stayed at our place for a few days. After they left, they did not call to inform us if they reached safely, leave alone thank us for the hospitality.
A friend was totally disconcerted when a colleague was on the cell phone for more than 20 minutes after being invited to the latter’s house!
Recently, a teacher of a GMAT class told me how a software professional walked out of class with not even an “Excuse me.”
What happened?
Why are we becoming immune to things that actually make us better individuals? Often hosts do not switch off the television and all conversation is conducted during commercial breaks. The same problem with mobiles. I saw a young couple in a restaurant where the lady was talking on her cell phone while the man amused himself with the menu card. What happens to “quality time”?
We are immune to gaffes like not retuning calls, coming late to meetings, allowing our cells to ring even in “No mobile” zones.
We like and notice people who are polite, courteous. We would not want people to display arrogance to our loved ones or us. So what prevents us to extend the same good manners to others?
Unfortunately, recent reports in newspapers and magazines seem to be full of reports where it is perfectly acceptable for young professionals to use swear words and obscene gestures. If that is the case, maybe old timers and those who place importance on old-fashioned courtesy need to do a reality check and accept that a whole lot of youngsters will be rude, obnoxious and foul mouthed in years to come.
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