Being born and raised in the South in the 60s, I can definitely relate to the whole "yes'sir, no'sir, ma'am, and referring to adults as Mr. Lastname, etc. It was a matter of respectfulness and politeness I was taught and expected to follow as a child. If I didn't, I got punished for it. It is so ingrained in my psyche now that when addressing men and women a generation or more older than me, I still use it unless that person specifically tells me to use their first name.
My niece and her husband are teaching their three boys the same "respectfulness" manners. But I've been around many other children in the course of being around my extended family, Sunday schools, and school functions to know that it's just not being taught or as strictly enforced in as widespread a fashion as it might've been 40 or more years ago.
And referring back to the OP, there is definitely a trend I've seen over the last 30 years in all types of manners that simply aren't being taught and/or enforced anymore.
For example:
* business manners (returning a phone call in timely fashion, customer service, etc.)
* traffic manners (letting people merge)
* table manners (eating with mouth open; talking with mouth full)
* crowd manners (not staring at people, breaking line)
* conversation manners (not interrupting, talking too loud)
And more importantly, there are no consequences for being rude...no enforcement.
I also tend to think that the depersonalization and isolation of email, cars, and cell phones has made people less sensitive to being mindful of and nice to other people.
"Be nice to others" - Doesn't that sound quaint and old-fashioned?
Last edited by thirdsun; 09-24-2009 at 09:08 AM..
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