Meeting people can be exciting and even nerve-racking, but manners can ensure you will give yourself a good image.
We all have a first impression of somebody, whether it be good or bad the way a person presents themselves is important towards our opinion on them. Someone not making direct eye contact and smacking bubblegum while in conversation with you is bound to leave a sour impression on you versus someone who does make eye contact and chews gum quietly, even offering you a piece.
First impressions do matter, you never know who you’re going to meet and what they could have in store for you. For all you know you could be talking to the head coach of your favorite college volleyball team, which you so desperately want to get into, and you keep interrupting them mid-sentence or talking really loudly. Once you realize who they are you feel like you’ve been slapped in the face because well, they actually mattered.
It could be human nature to simply disregard peoples feelings and put yours first, but you can change that by simply thinking “what do other people do that annoy me and how could I stop myself from doing that?” The slightest actions you do can show that you may or may not have good manners. It may be hard but keeping foul language to yourself in public scenarios and around casual associates can make a difference in the atmosphere you surround yourself in. 74% of people between the ages of 18-34 swear in public and 48% of people 55 and older swear in public. Maybe we can blame the media for that because from 1998-2002 swearing on television shows increased by 94% during “family hour” and 109% during the 9p.m. time-slot.
Us humans tend to stress table manners probably because they can be used in more than one situation. Whether it be a cup of coffee with your new co-worker or a dinner out with your family, having basic table etiquette is important to show others that you care about how they think of you. The urge to leave a good impression on someone directs people to show off good manners, and without them most people would not get along.
