Etiquette is all about how to conduct yourself beautifully in every situation. The basic rules of etiquette are simple. It’s a combination of proper speech, common courtesy, neat appearance, and controlling your emotions.
- When you say, ’I invite you,’ that means you pay. If you say, ’Let’s go to a restaurant,’ then in that case, everyone pays for themselves. If a man offers to pay for a woman, she must agree.
- Always call before you pay a visit. One British lady liked to say that when uninvited guests showed up on her doorstep, she always put shoes on, and grabbed a hat and an umbrella. If she liked the person, she exclaimed, ’I just got home!’ If not, she sighed and said, ’Ah, what a pity, I was just on my way out.’
- Never put your phone on the table in public. When you do, you show how important a role this device plays in your life, or worst, how bored you are of what’s happening.
- If you invite a girl on a date don’t be texting all the evening.
- While a man never carries a woman’s handbag, he can take her coat to the cloakroom.
- If you’re walking along with someone and your companion greets a person you don’t know, you should greet them as well.
- Most people believe that the proper way of eating sushi is using chopsticks. However, men, unlike women, can eat sushi with their hands.
- Your shoes should never, ever be dirty.
- Avoid meaningless talk on the phone, it’s better to meet with them in person.
- If someone offends you, you should never return the favor or raise your voice. Never sink to their level. Smile and leave the ill-mannered company.
- A man should always walk on a woman’s left-hand side, unless they’re in the military, because they should be ready to salute.
- Drivers should remember that puddle-splashing of passers-by is horrible behavior.
- Nine things that should never be discussed: age, wealth, family quarrels, religion, medical problems, love affairs, gifts, honor, and disgrace.
- In the cinema, theatre, or concert hall, you should always move to your seat facing those sitting. and men always go first.
- A man should never touch a woman without her explicit permission. It is unacceptable to: hold her hand, touch her during a conversation, and push her or take her hand above the elbow (unless a man is helping her to get into or out of a car, or cross the street).
- If someone calls to you rudely (’You there!’), you should never answer. You should be a model of good etiquette and polite social manners.
- The golden rule when using perfume is moderation. When you can still smell your perfume in the evening, everyone else is already tired of it.
- A well-bred man should always show proper respect to a woman.
- Men may only smoke with a woman’s permission.
- Whoever you are — a company director, an academician, an elderly woman, or a student — when you enter a room you should always be the first person to greet everyone there.
- Respect the privacy of correspondence, i.e. parents shouldn’t read their children’s letters. Couples should show the same respect for each other. Сhecking in someone’s pockets in search of love notes, letters, and other things is extremely rude.
- Don’t try to chase fashion, always wear nice, even if not fashionable, things than look awful in a brand-new suit.
- If you’re forgiven after you’ve apologized, don’t touch the offensive subject again once you’ve said you’re sorry.
- Avoid laughing and talking too loudly, or staring at people — it’s insulting.
- Don’t forget to thank your loved ones, relatives, and friends. They help you not because they have to, but because they want to. Appreciate them.
As Jack Nicholson, an American actor, said:
’I think much of decency. How to pass a plate. Not to shout from one room to another. Not to open a closed door without knocking. Let a lady pass. The aim of these endless simple rules is to make life better. I pay close attention to my manners. Etiquette matters. It’s a simple and comprehensible language of mutual respect.’
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