Basic Manners...

Over the past few years, I've tried to improve myself in various ways. Nutrition, health, physical activity, school, work, etc. and one of the more subtle yet rewarding improvements I've tried to develop is that of habitually utilizing manners.

It's simple things, really: holding the door for someone; saying 'please' or 'thank you' or 'excuse me'; being more hospitable to guests and more grateful to hosts. I think it's these subtle but lost habits that are taken for granted in today's society, a society that seemingly spends every waking hour connected to some sort of communication device, cut off from the other human beings around them and too preoccupied to care, much less acknowledge, those around them.

I think if we were to all take a step back while putting our cell phone in our pocket or turning off our mp3 player and opening our eyes to the world around us, we would appreciate more the world we live in, and thus be more considerate of others.

I have kept my phone in my pocket, and I only use it to send the occasional text message and maybe talk on it a few times a day. I hate sending e-mails and I absolutely loathe instant messaging. I use my mp3 player only in certain situations (if I have some free time to relax or doing some sort of physical activity). I fear that the astronomical leaps in communication technology have also made society take those same leaps away from basic human interaction and consideration.

In my opinion, this has come full circle in the form of Twitter. It seems multiple times per week, high profile individuals have posted something on Twitter (probably in the midst of an emotional outburst), and due to the accessibility and speed with which one can utilize Twitter, they make a post before they can even stop to think about it, much less comprehend its consequences. Again, it goes back to taking a step back, and realizing what you're doing.

And, finally, if you have one of those wireless "bluetooth" devices for your phone, please disconnect it if you're not in your car. You look like a pompous douche walking around with it stuck in your ear. Furthermore, if you're having a phone conversation and are using it, people either think (a) you're talking to them, or (b) you're talking to yourself, but assuredly everyone thinks (c) you look like a jackass.