By Puteri Othman
In this fast changing modern world, is common courtesy still important as it used to be? Recently, I witnessed an accident that made me realise that common courtesy is no longer practised by some of us.
A teenager bumped into an old man who was seen to be carrying a tray full of food, and he did not even apologise to the poor old man, and that made me so furious. Even though, most of us were taught to say “please” and “thank you” since we were small, somehow our generation just don’t practise it anymore.
To make things clearer, take a quick stroll around our campus and you can tell that today our generation does not see the value or understand the concept of common courtesy. I am not telling you that everyone does not have common courtesy, but since it is such a rare thing to do, people will interpret your common courtesy as something else.
So, does that mean common courtesy is only a thing in the past? I don’t think so. Here are a few lessons that might be worth taking on board:
Being nice is not a sign of weakness
Harold S. Kushner, a famous author once said that “being kind to others is a way of being good to yourself”. How you treat others actually reflect how you feel about yourself. Sometimes, when you show your kindness to others, probably it will make someone’s day. I always believe that you need to show kindness to everyone every day, because everyone is fighting a battle in their life. Being nice does not only mean you’re helping people, but simple gesture like smiling and giving salam is also part of being nice. So, always remember that when you’re being nice to people, people will be nice to you as well. You don’t need a reason to be nice to people.
Respect your elders
When you are dealing with an older person, it is a sign of respect if you call them by their title rather than assume you can call them by their first name. Younger generation today has become less formal. However, it is important to remember that each generations values are different. Again, it does not show weakness but shows a level of understanding for the person you are dealing with.
Be present
I observe that in this age of technology, people tend to be so engrossed with their gadget especially their phone. Every day when I’m walking to class, I feel like I’m walking in a crowd that march like zombies with their heads down, focusing on anything that pop out on their phone screen. I agree with the statement that people connect with others by their phone, but why can’t people put down their phone when others are talking to them face to face? So, here is what you can practise whenever you’re out to grab some meals with your friends or family; put everyone’s phone at the centre of the table, the first person who takes his or her phone will be the one to pay for all the meals. In this way, everyone will be present.
Remember to say thank you
It is amazing how many people forget something so simple. Thanking someone for the thing that they do can somehow have a huge impact than you might imagine. When you express your gratitude to someone, the person will feel appreciated, hence, that will improve the relationship that you have. Moreover, acknowledging other people for their work will also motivate them to do good work always.
In a nutshell, always remember that common courtesy is something that we need to practise everyday. You can always start practising it slowly. Hold the door, say hello, smile to people, say “please” and “thank you” is all the simple common courtesy that could brighten up someone’s day. So, don’t forget to have common courtesy daily.***