Poll: Are Manners Dead/Dying In Our current And/Or Last Generation?

[PissOffRoth]

People aren't as repressed as the once were, more expressive.

What does it matter if someone thanks you (or whatever else) out of sheer compulsive 'manners' and doesn't mean it?

Certain people have always conducted themselves in tactless or abrasive ways, just now they have an unfettered conduit. I'm all for it, saves time, I prefer people to be transparent with their personalities.

There's conducting yourself in what you consider to be an appropriate way, and then there's memorising Debrett's etiquette because tradition.

While I agree that "because tradition" is never an appropriate reason to do something, I think you're missing the point. The whole idea of saying "thank you" when someone does something for you is so that you will actually remember to appreciate them for giving of themselves freely. It's not a matter of not offending the other person.

The real problem is that some people are incredibly self-absorbed and think that they're owed the things that people do for them, because they're just so fucking special. This is a scourge on today's society and it worries me how little we talk about it. Actually, I hear a lot of "experts" (as if) trying to blame it on psychological issues, childhood trauma, stress, anything other than the responsibility of the parent and the individual to be a good person.

I like to think it's as simple as "teach your kids by example" but I don't have any of my own so I don't know. Anyone care to elaborate on their own experience?

 

[Quazimofo]

We're more polite now then we've ever been, historically.

We're all just stuck up, self absorbed pricks. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Which is an interesting bit of information when you think about it. It's not a stretch to imagine that one's self-absorbence would translate into poor manners (caring for little but themselves), and in many cases it does, but it is still interesting to see cases where it doesn't.

I've witnessed few of those cases however, and most of the people I've seen are crass and rude and disrespectful of elders, even going so far as to back-talk a teacher who tried to get them to work for *gasp* more than 20 minutes in the 3 hour class! Can you imagine that?!?!

Of course, being born of the same year as the OP (though at the tail end, so I'm still 17), most people I have interacted with are teenagers; the group notorious for being disrespectful across the whole english-speaking world (and perhaps beyond, I'm not sure, I only speak english). Still though, while manners are apparently in decline, there are still bastions of the polite amongst our society. So, they aren't dead yet, and probably won't be for some time.

 

[GideonB]

We're more polite now then we've ever been, historically.

We're all just stuck up, self absorbed pricks. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Which is an interesting bit of information when you think about it. It's not a stretch to imagine that one's self-absorbence would translate into poor manners (caring for little but themselves), and in many cases it does, but it is still interesting to see cases where it doesn't.

I've witnessed few of those cases however, and most of the people I've seen are crass and rude and disrespectful of elders, even going so far as to back-talk a teacher who tried to get them to work for *gasp* more than 20 minutes in the 3 hour class! Can you imagine that?!?!

Of course, being born of the same year as the OP (though at the tail end, so I'm still 17), most people I have interacted with are teenagers; the group notorious for being disrespectful across the whole english-speaking world (and perhaps beyond, I'm not sure, I only speak english). Still though, while manners are apparently in decline, there are still bastions of the polite amongst our society. So, they aren't dead yet, and probably won't be for some time.

Someone just wrote this for me thanks

Seriously though, most people my age (also 17) are idiots and violent and yeah

 

[Pink Gregory]

Bushwhack'd

While I agree with your disputing of what I said, I wouldn't attribute to entitlement what you can to ignorance, if you know what I mean.

I reckon it's not so much believing that one is owed something, more taking other people's acts for granted. Not saying that the kind of attitude you proposed doesn't exist of course, as anyone who's ever worked a retail job can probably attest to.

Seriously though, most people my age (also 17) are idiots and violent and yeah

I think 'most people' would disagree with you there. Loud minority and all that. Just because you see a lot of it doesn't translate to 'most people'.

 

[Al-Bundy-da-G]

I have noticed that a large number of members of my generation (I was born in 1995)lack politeness or general manners. I know many reading this will be polite people such as my self, my question is more why do you think this is the case?

Don't worry that's mostly because teenagers are little shitheads with no regard to other people. They eventually grow out of it.

No offense by the way, just stating a fact.

 

[Yopaz]

You know who I think really lack manners? 5 year olds. They never ask nicely or thank for anything. They'll even pronounce every other word incorrectly and have terrible grammar.

Manners is something a lot of us learn as we get older. We get more polite when we improve our social skills. We will be less polite around people we know because there's no need to be as polite. We also tend to notice rude people more easily. Kindness is easily ignored. If you meet a thousand people in the span of a day where only 10 make an impression, 9 make a good one and 1 make a bad you'll be grumbling about that one dick rather than those 9 nice guys.

 

[Sidmen]

I'll be honest, from my experiences in working in the Hospitality (hotel) Industry, most of the rude/inconsiderate people are of the balding heads and greying hair age bracket - who seem to think the world revolves around them. And, of course, the preteens and younger - who have WAY too much energy, and even then they're usually polite hyperactive lil shits.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I still can't believe people don't "bless me" whenever I sneeze. In my book that makes you a monster.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Probably depends on where you live. Here in Alberta, most of the people in my generation (1991) are living up to the stereotype of Canadians being very polite.

I still can't believe people don't "bless me" whenever I sneeze. In my book that makes you a monster.

I say "excuse me", is that alright?

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Probably depends on where you live. Here in Alberta, most of the people in my generation (1991) are living up to the stereotype of Canadians being very polite.

I still can't believe people don't "bless me" whenever I sneeze. In my book that makes you a monster.

I say "excuse me", is that alright?

I dunno, I'm translating into English. In Spanish we say "salud", which literally means "health". Lemme get this clear, if someone sneezes you say "excuse me"? How's that make sense? Shouldn't the other guy say it?

 

[Hagi]

I think this is kinda like PC gaming dying...

If manners are dying then they have been for the past 5000 years or so and will probably continue to do so for a few more centuries yet.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Probably depends on where you live. Here in Alberta, most of the people in my generation (1991) are living up to the stereotype of Canadians being very polite.

I still can't believe people don't "bless me" whenever I sneeze. In my book that makes you a monster.

I say "excuse me", is that alright?

I dunno, I'm translating into English. In Spanish we say "salud", which literally means "health". Lemme get this clear, if someone sneezes you say "excuse me"? How's that make sense? Shouldn't the other guy say it?

My bad, I misread your first post.
No I say "excuse me" when I sneeze. I usually "excuse you" when someone else sneezes.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Probably depends on where you live. Here in Alberta, most of the people in my generation (1991) are living up to the stereotype of Canadians being very polite.

I still can't believe people don't "bless me" whenever I sneeze. In my book that makes you a monster.

I say "excuse me", is that alright?

I dunno, I'm translating into English. In Spanish we say "salud", which literally means "health". Lemme get this clear, if someone sneezes you say "excuse me"? How's that make sense? Shouldn't the other guy say it?

My bad, I misread your first post.
No I say "excuse me" when I sneeze. I usually "excuse you" when someone else sneezes.

Ahh yeah that makes sense. Speaking of which, apparently Germans also say "health" when someone sneezes ("gesundheit"). Anybody know what French say?

 

[Xarathox]

Born and raised in the south (U.S). We're famous for our hospitality, which is still alive and kicking.

 

[IamQ]

Is manners dying? Oh yeah, totally.

It's not like there are texts going back to Socrates of people talking about how the kids are horrible and ruining the good old days. No, no, no, it's obviously those rambunctious 90s kids.