In one way or the other, we’ve all heard about courtesy and its importance. Even though a large number of us don’t incite such behaviour, it’s no doubt that we still tend to admire and respect those who do.
Courtesy entails a whole lot of things, especially in relation to how we behave towards other people, be it our friends or strangers. And it tells a lot about our personality and attitude in general.
To put it simply, courtesy is simply the right way to behave in the presence of other people. And this right way is kind, nice and subtle.
Another way to put is; speaking or acting pleasingly to others, not necessarily because they’re your friend but because it’s the ethical thing to do.
As simple as it may seem, most people still find it difficult to portray even the teeniest bit of courtesy. It’s just so difficult for them. This made me believe that the simplest of things happens to be the most difficult.
Because of the way it is, most people see it as irrelevant and not quite the norm in today’s world.
And you know these kinds of people rant out swiftly at the slightest bit of disrespect shown to them. Yet, they fail to show the respect that they want to be shown, isn’t that ironic?
IS COURTESY BEING RESPECTFUL
Oh yeah, you can say courtesy is also being respectful. The same amount of respect you want to be shown should be first shown by you to others. Just as they say, respect is reciprocal. If you want respect, then give respect!
You really don’t have to have too much to be courteous. Simple words like, “please“, “thank you“, “excuse me” and a host of others can do the trick. Just know how and when to use them so that you don’t begin to suffer from over-use or misuse.
I know there are times when you would want to burst out or just speak rudely to a person because of what the person did or so. But then, you don’t have to allow other people’s actions to determine your reaction. Ignoring such a person can do you less harm than actually confronting them.
Another thing I’ve come to notice again is that some people tend to be courteous to those they know and are familiar with. They can be such a jerk to a total stranger. This act of theirs might make the stranger label them as rude and arrogant because of the first impression that they have shown.
This is to say, you don’t have to speak rudely to strangers all because you don’t know them. As a matter of fact, you even have to speak to them more nicely because you don’t know them.
So the next time a stranger comes to you and asks you for something, please be nice. Even if you are rude, they don’t have to know that on the very first day they meet you, no, it doesn’t have to be so, because the first impression matters a lot. Yes, it does matter a whole lot!
Courtesy Demands…
So now we’ll be taking a look into what courtesy truly is. In other words, What courtesy demands… Below are some of the “demands” of courtesy:
Courtesy demands you to be considerate of others
This is one thing that people find difficult to do. That’s why most people act the way they like without thinking of their actions. These actions affect the feelings of others.
Courtesy demands you be respectful to everyone
It doesn’t matter social status, age, size, or race; everyone deserves equal respect. You don’t have to know about someone before you can show them respect. Even to strangers, give them the respect they deserve, and the same amount of respect will be given to you too. Just as the saying goes, “Respect is reciprocal“.
Courtesy demands that you say ” thank you” and “you’re welcome”
Courtesy demands that you say ” thank you” and “you’re welcome” when help is rendered to you and when you render help to others. As simple as this may seem, most people still fail at it. Saying thank you can do a lot more for you than you can imagine. Everyone loves to be appreciated, even if some of them claim it’s nothing. Trust me, it’s actually something. Learn to appreciate the little bit of favour or help given to you. And when someone thanks you for something you did, reply by saying, “you’re welcome“.
Courtesy demands that you speak nicely and be kind to people
Arrogance is a trait that no one wants to reckon with. Learn to always speak softly and nicely to people, even if you don’t know them at all. Speaking nicely makes you approachable and attractive. Nobody wants to speak with someone who is saucy and behaves like a total jerk. Also being kind to people is of the essence. Extend a little bit of kindness to those around you. It doesn’t cost much to do, but you tend to benefit more from it.
Courtesy demands that you put others first before yourself
This is another way of being considerate. Instead of always wanting to be first to get to the door or being in a queue, why not allow others to get in first? This doesn’t mean you’re weak, it just means you consider other people’s interests first before your own. Before judging anyone, first, try to put yourself in their shoes and see if you wouldn’t do the same thing they did–if not worse.
Courtesy demands that you treat people equally without being biased or prejudiced
Don’t treat some people nice and then go ahead to treat others with cruelty. Learn to always treat and see everyone as one and equal. Don’t say because you have nothing to gain from a person then you wouldn’t treat them nicely. Everyone is entitled to equal rights and freedom and treatment as well. So “Do unto others as you would want them to do to you“, just as the Golden Rules states.
What Courtesy Doesn’t demand
So we’ve seen what courtesy is or what it demands. Now we’ll be taking a look at what courtesy is not or what it doesn’t demand! Knowing this will also give you a proper understanding of courtesy as not just a term, but also as a virtue and a way of life.
Below are some of the none demands of courtesy:
Courtesy doesn’t demand that you speak ill of people
It doesn’t matter what someone has done to you, or what you’ve heard them do, speaking I’ll of such a person is not nice. Everyone wants to be spoken highly of, even though it may be false.
Courtesy doesn’t demand that you look down on people you think you’re better than
Looking down on people is not a good way of acting because you don’t know what will become of you tomorrow. The fact that you’re better than someone else doesn’t give you the right to look down on that person. Truth be told, no one is actually better than anyone. You’re just privileged to be where you are. So instead of looking down on others, be thankful and grateful for being in such a position.
Courtesy doesn’t demand that you speak rudely and harshly to strangers
Some people are fond of doing this. A stranger comes to you and asks for direction or something else. Now instead of being nice to the person by speaking calmly and nicely, you rather resort to speaking harshly to him probably because you’re in a very bad mood that very day, or because you don’t know the person. Now, know that there’s no excuse for being rude. You don’t have any justifiable reason of being rude to others. So don’t allow your mood to make you vent out on others, don’t!
Courtesy doesn’t demand that you treat others badly just because they first treated you badly
It may sound justifiable to treat others just as badly as they’ve treated you. But then you really don’t have to be Like them. Them treating you badly just shows a weakness on their part. Now you really don’t want to fight such weakness with another form of weakness that you portray, no! Rather, show them that there’s strength on your part by treating them with respect and with courtesy.
Courtesy doesn’t demand that you find faults in other people’s doing
Doing this just makes you the one with the most faults. Don’t go about pinpointing the faults of others. If they make a mistake, don’t make it seem so obvious and so bad as though they killed someone. Correct such errors in private with them and don’t announce it to the world. Those people who are experts in fault finding are people who are soaked in self-conceit. They don’t listen to you because they want to, rather they do because they want to find the faults in what you said or what you did.
Thanks for reading. Kindly leave your comments below, and don’t forget to share on social media platforms.
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