Good Manners
If a man is a bundle of habits, a gentleman is a bundle of manners. A man of good manners is an ornament but a rude man is a curse to society. Manners are the ornaments of action; as there which greatly enhances their value. is a way of speaking a kind word or of speaking a kind thing,
Good manners have always been the hallmark of noble souls. Christ washed the feet of His disciples and Krishna washed the feet of His Brahmin guests. George Washington took his
hat off to a Negro who saluted him. A friend of his reprimanded him for showing so much regard to a Negro as to take off his hat to him, but he replied that he could not allow a Negro to surpass him in good manners.
Good manners are indispensable to all. They are a better possession than wealth, beauty or talent. Civility of speech and action is the only thing required of man. A French woman went to the length of saying that she could not tolerate a breach of good manners though she could never be put out by insults. Thus, civility and courtesy are of greatest value to man. A merchant who is not courteous soon becomes unpopular. If a lawyer wishes to succeed at the bar, he must be courteous to his clients; if a professor likes to be popular, he must deal with the students in a courteous manner. If a principal wishes to manage his staff satisfactorily, he must not forget to show courtesy to them. A salesman requires it most if he wishes to dispose of his goods; a student requires it if he desires to be respected by his class fellows; and a master needs it if he wants his servants to work for him and hold him in high esteem.
A man who does not possess good manners cannot become a well-bred man. It is very clearly expressed by Dr. Johnson when he said that the difference between a well-bred and an ill-bred man is that one immediately attracts one’s liking, the other one’s aversions. “You love the one” he observes, “till you find reasons to hate him; you hate the other till you find reasons to love him”. It is true “manners maketh a man and want of it a fellow”.
Good manners lend charm to peoples. They enhance the nobility of one’s nature and beauty of one’s soul. A man may be very noble, but if he is not mannerly in his conduct and behaviour, he is liable to be misunderstood because he cannot be agreeable to those with whom he comes in contact. On the other hand, a treacherous may pass for a gentleman and win the love and affection of his fellowmen if he is courteous in his behaviour and is of amicable and sweet disposition. Such is the magical influence of good manners.
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