You’re reading this, probably because you’ve seen the title. Did you know that possessing good manners is one of the most unique and useful skills out there?
Good manners can help you in so many ways, and that’s not just because they’re nice to have.
What exactly do we mean by “good manners”? Are there certain rules that we need to follow in order to be considered good people? And if so, what are they?
If you think about it, manners are actually pretty simple: Be considerate of others, follow the rules, and don’t be rude. But how common is it to practice these manners in our own lives? How do we carry ourselves with anyone we meet?
The matter is that no matter how much we promise ourselves to adopt good manners, we often forget them.
We forget them when we are busy, in a hurry, stressed or angry.
This just means that we have to b extra aware of our behavior and conduct, and strive even more to display good manners.
In this article, we take a look at some of the most important things you should keep in mind if you want to adopt good manners in your everyday life.
Good Manners Are a Sign of Strength and an Open Mind
Displaying good manners means being polite, considerate and tolerant. This conduct shows the possession of inner strength and discipline.
Good manners show tact, diplomacy, and the ability to get along fine with others. They do not diminish anything from you and do not show weakness. On the contrary, they denote strength of character.
Become Familiar with the Customs of Your Culture or Country
This is probably the most important thing you do before you start to practice good manners. It’s the secret to being a “true” local. It means understanding and learning about social etiquettes.
You’ll be surprised how often you cross paths with other cultures while you’re traveling, and even in your own country. You may even come across situations where you must adjust your own behavior to match the expectations and customs of others.
This does not mean “giving up” on yourself. It means realizing that good manners create better relations, respect and harmony.
Your manners are your public speaking skills. They are your “on-the-spot” introductions, your “hello” and “goodbye” greetings, and your “please” and “thank you” responses.
If you make a mistake in these customs, you’ll make everyone around you feel a little bit uncomfortable, even if they didn’t mean to be offensive.
It may seem like a small thing, but it can have a big impact on how people feel about you.
Arriving on Time
If we’re late for a meeting, people are going to start to receive anxious vibes, and they might start to wonder what’s going on. Being late is bad manners and disrespect.
We have to be on the same page with everyone we meet, which is why it’s important to arrive on time.
Being on time is good manners. It means we appreciate the time of other people, and this will win us their respect.
Don’t Be Selfish
We all have different careers, interests, and hobbies, and we all have our own time and space.
If you have to spend the majority of your time with a group of people, such as at work, school, or university, you might start feeling uptight and uncomfortable, and start being selfish.
However, in the above circumstances and in any other situations, avoid being selfish. You need to consider the rights and needs of other people, and often you have to compromise.
Being selfish makes people dislike you and avoid your company. On the other hand, being considerate wins their appreciation and respect.
Being selfish alienates you from other people, and they would try to keep a distance from you. Selfishness might make you win in the short run, but you will eventually lose.
Be Nice, Don’t Be Rude
You’re probably already aware that being rude in any situation can have negative consequences. So, don’t be. Just don’t be. You don’t need to be rude in a conversation with a complete stranger, nor with the people you know.
When you’re with your close friends or family, you need to maintain proper manners, and avoid being offensive.
This might find it strange, but if you are nice and considerate toward yourself, not in a selfish way, you will be more aware of how you treat other people.
A habit of being nice to yourself can have a big impact on the way you react and behave toward others.
Learn How to Say No Properly
A lot of us make the mistake of saying yes to every request or suggestion from others. We end up saying yes to everything, even if we don’t want to do it.
We all have a “yes” button, especially with people close to us. If we press the “no” button, we might say this word with anger and aggressiveness. This has not to be so.
You have to learn to use this “no” button properly.
You need to learn how to say no properly so that you do not feel uncomfortable about it, but you also don’t hurt people. It’s a great skill in business and in relationships.
How to say ‘no’? Say it firmly, but also politely.
If you have a good reason to say ‘no’, you can share the reason with the other person. You might be surprised at how understanding they might be if have a good reason to refuse.
Thank People
Giving thanks is good manners. Acknowledging the help or advice people give you is good manners.
Thanking people means appreciating them, their efforts, and their time.
Saying ‘thank you’ is not difficult. Even if the other person knows that you appreciate him or her, say it in words.
Greet and Congratulate People
Greet people you know, even if they are not your friends. Say ‘Good morning’, Good evening’, or ‘Hello’.
You don’t have to start a conversation with them, especially when you are in a hurry, but a word or two, a smile, or a wave of the hand will make your day and their day.
Be a Good Listener
A very important good habit is the habit of listening to people. Hearing and listening are two different things.
When you hear but don’t pay attention, you are not listening. It means that you don’t care what the other person is saying.
There are people who do not allow the other person to speak. They take over the conversation and don’t allow anyone else to say something. These people don’t care about other people’s opinions and feelings and are focused on themselves.
Good manners mean listening and focusing on other people, letting them speak. We might learn a lot of important things, and get useful information, which otherwise we wouldn’t.
Learn about the benefits and advantages of being a good listener.
Eating and Drinking Habits and Manners
Be considerate of other people when you eat and drink. Especially so, when in the company of strangers, in a foreign country, or while eating with people who are accustomed to eating different kinds foods.
It’s not good manners to eat when in a lecture, in a museum, or while talking to a stranger. It is also not good manners talking when your mouth is full with food.
Have Good Manners While Driving
We cannot finish this article without mentioning good manners on the road.
People are often stressed, anxious or tired, and sometimes, do not respect the rights of others on the road. This behavior can be risky at times.
Good manners while driving mean complying with speed limits, paying attention to road signs, and respecting the other drivers.
Every driver wishes to arrive safe at their destination. Even if you meet drivers who do not respect the law, speed up, or cut you on the road, do the impossible and stay calm to keep your safety.
Also, be nice and tolerant toward other drivers. Keep a safe distance, allow other drivers to enter the road when they come from a side street, and respect the rights of the pedestrians.
Conclusion
Here, we have surveyed just a few of the good manners. There are many more of course, but we did not want to make this article too long. Other good manners is giving your seat to an elderly in a bus, being patient with slow people, abstaining from shouting and more.
Good manners are a key part of human interaction. They are the foundation of good communication, hospitality, and relationships.
They are also closely tied to our physical and mental health. If you want to achieve good health and well-being, you need to practice good manners. This would reduce stress, tension and anger, which would benefit your health and other people’s health.
You should always be considerate of others, follow the rules, and don’t be rude. How do you do that in everyday life? In this article, we’ve outlined some of the most important things you should keep in mind if you want to adopt good manners in your everyday life.
Good manners often start from an early age. Children imitate their parents and teachers. If we wish to create a good world, we should start with ourselves, and then our children will learn good manners from us.
