American society is absent of common courtesy. I will not compare modern
society to that of past periods in American history; I am only concerned in this
respect to the present. I focus in on American society due to the fact that I am an
American, and my concern at present is with common courtesy in my own
surroundings.
The first item I would like to address is the idea of common courtesy.
What is common courtesy, and why is it needed? I define courtesy as a gesture of
goodwill without the expectation of something in return from the individual that
such courtesy was directed towards. As a whole, such courtesy is missing
from American society. Common courtesy is so lacking in society that
individuals do not even conduct themselves in proper behavior that in the past
might have been termed proper etiquette, such etiquette is not in the least
followed, and has been advanced to be termed common courtesy.
etiquette_librairie_jouan_bigot_caen
Etiquette Fictive Beaujolais Nouveau 2007
etiquette_libraireThis can be noted on numerous instances. Some instances include
conduct in a movie theatre, the college campus setting, and those who
choose to smoke cigarettes in public. To better define instances in which common
courtesy does not exist, I shall give examples of each of those instances
listed above in greater detail. Though these behaviors cannot even be considered
that of an absence of courtesy due to the fact that these behaviors run contrary
to proper etiquette in those particular situations or surroundings, I will continue the
term courtesy to prevent confusion in the following paragraphs.
Movie theatres are a place for people to enjoy a form of entertainment.
This form of entertainment is not a social activity, but rather a solitary activity.
This activity requires no other individual present, and the interaction between
individuals should follow at...