Etiquette is showing respect to yourself and everyone else around you. While we are happy that certain social etiquettes have rolled with the times and girls can move around and meet men unchaperoned, certain basic etiquette should always be in fashion. However, people today are more obsessed with matching table linen or eating noodles with chopsticks than following basic etiquette rules.
Read on to learn 13 etiquette rules nobody cares about.
Replying To An RSVP
Ignoring RSVPs is one of the most prevalent etiquette issues people face today. It’s a simple courtesy so the host knows how much food to cook or order. Imagine all that food and people not turning up. The primary social convention demands that guests reply with a yes or no to a party invitation within 24 hours. They should at least let the host know if there is a lack of surety. The host has enough on her plate; it is bad manners to make her follow up.
Chivalry
No one expects a man to open a door for a woman or pull out chairs; we are past that era, but is it too much to ask them to be courteous? Basic courtesy applies to men and women. Assisting an older adult to cross the road, giving up their seat for a pregnant lady or a disabled person, or helping someone who needs it is not too much to ask for. It can make someone’s day, and you never know; your good karma might reward you too.
Punctuality
To be “fashionably late” has become the social mantra, and arriving up to 15 minutes late has become the accepted norm. There have been instances when guests prone to promptness have arrived at the venue only to know that the host is running late. A punctured tire is a valid reason for the delay, but being knowingly late is like saying, “We don’t care for your time.”
Ignoring Honorifics
The good old-fashioned Mr, Mrs, and Miss have gone out of fashion. People earlier would ask you your title. Nowadays, young people, absolute strangers, don’t hesitate to call you by your first name. This over-familiar way of living by millennials and Gen Z is not something that many people are happy about.
Dressing Appropriately
There is a place and time for everything, but showing the bra strap, wearing low jeans from where the red Calvin Klein peeps out, or ripped jeans showing legs from butt to ankle is inappropriate for all times and places. Furthermore, arriving at a family luncheon or dinner with friends dressed in sports gear or yoga pants is disrespectful unless it’s the pre-decided theme.
Housewarming Gift
When you visit someone’s new house for the first time, you bring a housewarming gift. It’s an essential etiquette rule. Not only this, getting a box of chocolates or homemade cookies, a bouquet, or a bottle of wine when you go to someone’s house for dinner is a polite thing to do. Sadly, this social norm is rapidly going out of favor, and guests often turn empty-handed.
Cleaning Up
People need to remember to clean up after themselves. Whether at a food court or a park picnic table, people leave it dirty with half-eaten food, open ketchup packets, bread crumbs, or used napkins. Many times, people don’t clean up after their pets. It is basic manners to clean up your or your pet’s mess.
Respecting Personal Space
Commenting on someone’s appearance was considered rude, so was asking personal questions like “When are you getting married?” “Are you expecting?” or “How much do you make in a year?” Nowadays, people invade privacy, judge others freely, and put them down without a second thought. Visit any Facebook or Instagram post, and you will find random strangers commenting insultingly, body shaming, and using obscene language.
Polite Greetings
Greeting people by asking, “How are you?” “Good Morning” and “I haven’t seen you in a long time” can improve their day and make people feel more valued. These days, we hardly see people greeting us on the streets or at the workplace. The young generation avoids eye contact, so they don’t have to acknowledge or smile. What’s the society where people don’t talk or avoid looking at each other?
Proper Communication
Clear and concise communication is fast becoming a thing of the past. People hardly think of using proper language, even in their work emails. These days, abbreviations, slang, or jargon have become the norm. People don’t acknowledge that not everyone understands colloquial language, cultural jokes, or abbreviations like IMHO, OFC, or NVM.
Courtesies In Public Places
Imagine enjoying a particularly thrilling car chase scene in a movie theater when the phone of the person sitting behind you rings. Horror of horrors, he picks it up and starts talking loudly, too. Be mindful of the people around you in public places. Keep the phone on silent or vibrate mode, and turn off text notifications. Don’t talk loudly in restaurants or elevators. Avoid taking selfies that invade others’ space or inconvenience them.
Saying Please And Thank You
It doesn’t hurt to say please if you ask for a favor or thank you when someone helps you at the supermarket or lets you board the bus first. Furthermore, the correct response to “thank you” is “You’re welcome” or “My pleasure.” Saying “No problem,” “No issue,” or a shrug doesn’t count. When you ask for directions or bump into someone, saying “Excuse me” is the polite thing to do.
Firm Handshakes
People must stand and make eye contact while shaking hands. Furthermore, a handshake should be firm. No wonder the gentlemen’s handshakes were synonymous with trust and unbroken promise. People these days offer limp hands, give fist bumps, and whatnot.