Any way about it, there’s an invisible world of social etiquette out there, and we only know it because someone along the way taught us how they learned we, as humans, are supposed to act.
Many manners make sense, like holding the door for someone. It’s friendly, helpful, and just plain polite! Covering your mouth when you sneeze falls into the same category. Other rules, like holding a spoon a certain way, we follow just because we’ve been conditioned and have fallen into habits.
If you really think about certain manners and why we continue to follow them, you may be left scratching your head. Here are a few common bits of etiquette, a little history, and whether or not they’re really functional in today’s society.
1) The man walks on the left side of the woman
This rule wasn’t always the case. Back in medieval times, the man walked on the right. This was because his sword was on the left and could pull it out with less complication if they encountered danger.
This changed when swords were no longer the weapon of choice and streets had more traffic. Horses led to carriages, wagons, then automobiles. A man now walked on the woman’s left to protect her the dangers of the road and shield her from puddle splashes.
Also, before indoor plumbing, many city dwellers emptied their bedpans out the upper story bedroom windows. The arc of the falling urine and debris would fall upon the person on the outside edge of the sidewalk below. Golden shower! Yay!
Is this important anymore? Yes if you’re walking down rainy streets. No if the female gets upset about gender roles. And a big ‘do what the fuck ever’ if people are slinging last night’s piss from upstairs windows!
2) Saying “Bless you”, or ‘Gesundheit’ after someone sneezes
It was once thought that a sneeze left an empty place in a human’s soul. This void could then be inhabited by crafty demons or evil spirits. Saying “Bless you.” to someone who sneezed was the logical thing to do to help prevent evil from getting in.
Gesundheit is a non-religious way to show positive wishes to a sneezer. It means health. If someone is sneezing, perhaps they’re sick. This makes more sense, I guess, than evil spirits infiltrating ones soul. But, if the sneezer is susceptible to evil spirits, “Bless you.” is probably a better bet!
Is this important anymore? No to the people who are obsessed with loudly blessing every sneezing person within earshot. You’re blessing them for your own ego folks! It’s fine, however, for everyone else.
3) Being swift as you cross a street
Crossing a street slowly is usually, but not strictly limited to, a teenage boy thing. It’s not only a rebellious act, but it’s also a power play. All the people with cars and licenses have to follow the rules and street-crossers know it. It’s a big ‘up yours’ from the folks without the ability to drive to all of those who do!
We’ve been taught to never hang out in the middle of the street. This is common sense. You’ll live longer if you follow this piece of social etiquette.
Is this important anymore? Yes! It has a direct effect on safety and the flow of traffic. Plus, you won’t look like an inconsiderate bastard!
People generally don’t like being around folks with poor manners. It’s embarrassing and unpleasant. On the other hand, most of us would rather hang out with people on the cruder side, than with those who follow every manner in the book, then judge us for not following suit.
We’ll be revisiting this concept; what manners are relevant and which ones can be chucked. In the meantime, please comment! Also, think about it next time you stand as someone sits at your table, or you frown because someone cuts their meat with their knife in the wrong hand. You may be upsetting yourself for no reason!