Contest: Courtesy
It feels good to be here again participating in this contest that I found interesting. The topic actually sounds simple but trust me lack of understanding about this topic has led to many misunderstanding, conflict and all manner of negativity today. Anyways I will take my time to share my thoughts on the topic...kindly tag along as I take you on this ride.
What do you understand by courtesy? Explain.
Courtesy can be defined as being polite, respectful, and considerate in one's behavior and interactions with others. This is expressed via good manners, thoughtfulness and It encompasses good manners, thoughtfulness, and respectful attitude towards others around us. I think it's also important to mention that these courtesy is expressed differently in different location and regions or the world, nevertheless, we have some generals courteous expression that is applicable everywhere.
Courteous acts are underrated in our world today, people live their lives without being considerate, respectful and having regards for others regardless of their age, status and whatever. Giving everyone the regard that they deserve is key. This helps foster interaction, togetherness and limits all manner of strife among ourselves.
With courtesy in place, there will be orderliness and high moral standard in every quarter including organization, families, societies and the world at large. A simple "thank you" can open more doors of opportunities for an individual, while refusing to say "Sorry" when you are wrong people can breed a whole lot of conflict.
Do you think courtesy is important? Should it be observed? Tell us.
It's very important, I just cited some examples in the previous section, stating how simple courteous words like , "sorry", "please", "thank you" etc can make a whole lot of difference. There are other ways to express courtesy and this includes greetings. There is a way to greet your colleagues and friends, likewise your pals and those that that older than you generally.
In this part of the world, we prostrate to greet the elders, this is the highest form of respect for our elders here. You can verbally say hello to your colleagues and friends but not to an elder in this part of the world...and that how courtesy is perceived among those that are older here.
This is just one of the many ways courtesy is expressed among many other ways and as you can see it helps to keep the world sane and humane because the goal of courtesy is to have a very healthy interpersonal relationship with people around.
Name five instances where courtesy is demanded in your culture.
• Courtesy demands that you greet by prostrating to an elderly person. I know this sounds quite absurd to many who are not from this part of the world but that is what is regarded as respect in this part of my world. The male prostate here, while the female go on their knees to greet an elder.
• Secondly courtesy demands that you don't stretch out your hands for an handshake to greet someone obviously older than you. You wait for his or her hand to be extended to you before you reciprocate. This is a sign of respect to someone older.
• Courtesy demands that you acknowledge the presence of those you meet on arriving a meeting or conference where you have obviously arrived late to. You do that by standing up for a while or stand till you're asked to sit. Its a show of regard and respect for those who came to the meeting earlier than you have.
• Courtesy demands that you put your mobile device on silent when you're in a very important meeting that comprises serious minded people making important deliberations so you don't get to disorganize the atmosphere with your device ringing carelessly.
• Courtesy demands that you welcome visitors or strangers with at least some thing to drink when they show up...even if you do not have something for them to eat, there should be at least something for them to drink. A chilled water served in a very palatable manner. It shows you have regard for your visitors.
State instances where courtesy was neglected. Maybe you witnessed it or someone told you.
I will be using myself as an example, it was a lessons I learnt the hard way, although not so hard but trust me I felt a bit embarrassed when I realized I wasn't courteous in this area I am about to talk about. If you carefully read through the five instances I highlighted above in paragraphs, you will observe that I mentioned "that you don't stretch out your hands to someone older than you for an handshake".
Although this might not be applicable in the corporate world but trust me, it is valid in the other side of the cooperate world. It happened that, I met few folks back then when I was writing an important exam. I had assumed that we were all mate because we were all writing the same exam.
I forgot the fact that they were obviously older than me even though we were both sitting for the same exam. You know how life can be, putting people in conditions they didn't bargain for. Such was the case of these guys I'm talking about, the exam is not what they should be sitting for at that phase of their life but what can they do...
So there was this day I saw them all together standing somewhere discussing, and then I walked up to them to say hello as pal which I have assumed them to be and so I stretched out my hand to get an handshake. Interestingly they all shook my hands until one of them looked at me and said to me, "you just committed a blunder, you do not stretch your hands to shake anyone older than you, you wait till they extend theirs to you and if not, you maintain your cool"
Men I felt bad that I was corrected right there and then but I later took the lesson as I found it valid over time that it is wrong in this part of the world to stretch out one's hand to shake an older person.
What is your stance when it comes to courtesy? Tell us.
My stance is simple and straightforward. Courtesy is important and should be encouraged. It has a way of making the world a better and sane environment where people don't just do things because they they think they want to not minding if it aligns with the societal standard or not. With courtesy in place everyone act in a way that is generally acceptable in the society or environment where they belong.
I think I've been able to share my thoughts articulately concerning the subject matter. Just before I go, I will like to invite @drhira @owulama & @josepha to this contest to share their thoughts. I hope they find the topic interesting as well.
Thanks for taking your time to read every bit of this piece. I appreciate it.
Regards
@lhorgic❤️
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Thanks for the support ma'am
Saludos apreciado amigo. Ciertamente la cortesía está basada en hechos tan simples pero que hacen una gran diferencia en la sociedad. Tal como lo dices un simple gracias puede cambiar todo el contexto. Te deseo éxitos y bendiciones.
Thank you my friend, I'm glad you got value