/ Recent content on A Quick Guide to Everyday Etiquette Hugo -- gohugo.io en-us /about/ Fri, 19 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000 /about/ Etiquette is about kindness, it is about being friendly, it is about being polite, it is about integrity, it is about good manners. It is the art of doing your part in making the world a better place for everyone else — through simple acts of kindness and discipline. I’ve found many instances where etiquette is thrown out the bus. It’s not rare that you see folks cutting queues, folks with the sloppiest of table manners, and oh man, don’t get me started on folks who are always late. /door/ Fri, 19 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000 /door/ First come, first serve is a general rule in door etiquette. If you’re the first to arrive at the door, it is your job to open and hold the door If you’re with other people and have reached a door that pulls open, reach out and open it and continue to hold it open so that the people you’re with may enter On a similar note, if you’ve reached a door that pushes open, push the door and head inside and continue to hold the door open as the others come inside If you see someone with arms full, needless to mention, you should offer to get the door for them Avoid the awkwardness of prematurely holding a door open for someone is a certain distance away as this might cause them to rush or hurry up NEVER allow a door to slam shut on someone When people visit your home, hold the door open as you invite guests to cross the threshold into your home. /elevator/ Fri, 19 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000 /elevator/ Follow the “two-flight” rule — if your destination is 2 floors above or below, don’t get into the elevator. You can walk. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule — the elderly, parents with strollers, those with disabilities, and so on If you’re entering the elevator, wait until people who have to come out have done so Respect personal space even in a confined space like an elevator: If only 2 people are in the elevator, it’s best to stand on opposite sides of the car 3 to 4 people should gravitate toward each of the corners 5+ people should attempt to space themselves out evenly and face forward. /queue/ Fri, 19 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000 /queue/ Don’t cut queues. It’s not rocket science. It’s not difficult to understand. Just don’t cut queues. It’s very disrespectful of people who’ve been waiting for much longer than you Exercise huge amounts of patience, even when the queue appears endless If you are holding a place for someone, explain to others around you to avoid conflict If someone appears like they are jumping the queue, politely correct them without getting into a squabble Respect other people’s space while on the queue sources ¶ Queue Etiquette by Vanguard /table/ Fri, 19 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000 /table/ When at a small table of only two to four people, wait until everyone else has been served before starting to eat. At a formal or business meal, you should either wait until everyone is served to start or begin when the host asks you to Chew with your mouth closed. If you’re conversing, pause until your food is down the gullet before speaking. Eat and listen, gulp down and then speak Use your napkin to wipe your mouth and fingers, especially if you are conversing with others Keep your phone on silent and wait until after your meal to check it Pace yourself at the speed of fellow diners Instead of reaching across the table for something, ask for it to be passed to you If you are passing food around the table, always pass to the right (unless you are passing to a specific person) sources ¶ Table Manners by Etiquette Scholar Table Manners by Emily Post /time/ Fri, 19 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000 /time/ Please be on time. It’s not cool when you’re late. When you show up 20 minutes late to something, you are saying that your time is worth more than my time. That you don’t care if you wasted 20 minutes of my time. That makes you rude and disrespectful If you’re unavoidably running late, communicate it to all stakeholders, along with your ETA. But even then, remember that texting “Hey, I’m running 20 minutes late” is not as acceptable as making the effort to be on time Be respectful of others’ time.