A young man who was strong and healthy enjoyed his work but felt uninterested in the uninteresting people. He developed pneumonia and was dangerously ill, making life difficult for him. When he recovered, he looked around for older people in need of a seat and gave up his own. This story highlights the importance of good manners and understanding that everyone is fragile in a dangerous world.
It is important to make life easy for older people by helping them when they can. Good manners are also important when speaking with friends, as it is an insult to ask attention and speak so loudly that the person does not understand you. Thoreau’s saying, “It takes two to speak the truth-one to speak, and another to hear,” is important and could save a lot of argument and annoyance in life.
When people ask tiresome questions, it is important to be honest and watch for signs of bad-manner. It is not easy to listen to long conversations, so try to take only a fair share of the conversation. If there are two of you, take half of it and give your friend a chance to say something.
It is surprising how unpleasant things about someone can find their way to the person with your name watched, so always assume that the person may overhear and adjust your remarks accordingly. No man really understands himself, which can lead to arguments and anger.
Experts conduct experiments to determine errors in statements. A study showed that students at a university had at least 10% errors in statements they were prepared to swear to an oath, and more than 10% in other groups. One mistake was a student seeing a bull having its tongue out, believing it was the mouth. This highlights the importance of understanding one’s limitations and having sympathy for others. Good manners involve empathy and helping the world as much as possible in one’s short time. The study emphasizes the importance of not deferring or neglecting kindness and good deeds.
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