Etiquette Rules for the Modern Woman

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When it comes to etiquette, we’re all concerned about what is acceptable and what isn’t. Okay, we are not all concerned and to be truthful, there are many who could care less about etiquette and all it entails. However, there is always a place for good manners and there are modes of behaviour that will clearly mark a person out as rude and lacking in such. So, while we don’t want to go back to the times of knights and helpless females, how do we exercise good manners without doing away with our independence?

A Forbes post with the title 27 Etiquette Rules For Our Times lists out certain rules of etiquette that are necessary in this modern age. We’ll share a few that we think are really important or that are too often flouted.

Texting “Hey, I’m running 20 minutes late” is not as acceptable as making the effort to be on time.

If you can’t attend an event that you’re formally invited to, don’t think that not RSVPing is the same as declining. And don’t RSVP at the last minute for an event that involves real planning by the host.

Show some decency around the office refrigerator: If you didn’t put the food in, don’t eat it. And take your leftovers home or throw them out before they morph into some radioactive nightmare.

Don’t bellow on your cell phone. Just because you can’t hear the other person well doesn’t mean the other person can’t hear you well.

Turn off the phone at a dinner party, and be in the moment. You’re annoying at least one person who thinks you have no social skills. At bare minimum, turn off the ringer so you can text and conspire in relative stealth.

Keep personal conversations and arguments off social networking sites. The dramatic airing of grievances is best done through SMS.

Moderate your use of cameras and video at events. Enjoy your time with colleagues, friends and family in the present and preserve only a memento for the future, rather than recording the entire thing to “relive” later in some “free” time that you’ll never actually have.

Remember how easily e-gossip can be forwarded along to the wrong person.

Don’t RSVP for an event, then not show. Now you’re not just being rude, but you’re costing the host money, and you’ve probably kept a lonely soul from being invited as a backup.

If your children are invited to a friend’s house to play, they (and you) should also feel invited to help with the cleanup.

Don’t break up with someone by text. And don’t announce a death in the family by text. There are still times when phones or face-to-face are the best way to go.

The important thing is to think about the feelings of others before yours. There are more rules of etiquette if you’re interested; you can find them here.

So what are your top etiquette rules?

 

 

 

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