Manners cost nothing

I really do not know if I should consider the following my personal pet peeves, but then I know that they are manners that count. Besides, a strict adherence to them shows that one isn’t ill mannered as well.

1.       Knocking before entering people’s houses and/or rooms, not barging in: This is not just an assumption, people do it. Regardless of your level of closeness to anyone, as long as you are not a cop that is trying to catch a criminal unaware, common sense dictates that you knock before you enter. I have heard complaints from men/women alike that the siblings of their spouses just barges into their rooms, only to find them both naked. Need anyone to point out this again as impolite?

2.       Respect the privacy of others and their space: Similar to the one above, that is not too much to ask though.

3.       Do not overstay your welcome in people’s houses/lives; Always know when to leave. Don’t be a nuisance. Waiting until you are being told to exit clearly shows ill manners.

4.       Don’t talk ill about people; And if you must do so when they are not present, do not tell a lie. Ensure you say what exactly they had done wrong. Not just paint a falsified scenario so others could hate them, or so you could gather sympathy.

5.       Leave public toilets cleaner than you met them; So that the next person would not have a cause to scamper to safety when they come in right after you. Local parlance stipulates that you shouldn’t be unfortunate on this as well.

6.       Air your views in public polls as politely as you can; Our uniqueness oftentimes is in our differences. But overtime I have noticed that, political arguments especially, usually end up in two parties, who most times have never met, cursing and/or insulting one another, especially on the social media. Does it really have to get to that?

7.       ‘Spit’ unto closets, gutters (if you must at all) rather decently; Common with us Africans. Spits are not meant to be displayed on tarred roads for others to see the way nature performs the wonders of evaporation.

8.       Lastly, keep your body, stench free; The nostrils of some set of humans don’t have to bear the consequences of the unhygienic practices of some others. Don’t you just know you ooze by the way?

In all, keep being conscious of all of your actions, relate it to how it affects the person next to you, and apply some caution because Good Manners is our way of showing other people that we respect them.

Thank you.
Picture source :  Google