Social etiquette refers to the various social patterns of behaviour that we practise among our family, friends, colleagues or even strangers. To practise proper social etiquette, we have to follow certain social norms. This will ensure that we live peacefully with others and coexist in harmony.
Most of us have the basic social etiquette rules such as saying, “please”, thank you”, “excuse me” and “sorry” drummed into our heads from childhood. However, could there be some other social niceties that we occasionally overlook? It doesn’t hurt to take a quick refresher course in social etiquette rules every now and then.
Here is a list of ten social etiquette rules compiled from different lists put together by various writers on various platforms.
1. Ensure that you praise people publicly and criticise them privately. You don’t want to make them defensive or to dent their ego in public. Criticism, when given in private, is an easier pill to swallow.
2. If you tease someone and you realise that that person is uncomfortable and getting irritated, stop it. It can easily escalate into a quarrel. As such, there will be bad blood between the two of you.
3. When someone shows you a picture on their phone, don’t swipe left or right. You may see a picture/video/text that you were not meant to see and you will both end up very embarassed.
4. Don’t call somebody more than twice in a row, unless they owe you money or you have an appointment with them. When they see your missed call, they can always call you back when it is convenient for them. People regard being called continuously as a form of harassment.
5. Don’t look at your phone when someone is talking to you. People consider this to be rude and disrespectful.
6. When in an office or in a social gathering, take phone calls by stepping aside or going outside if possible. This is in order not to disturb other people. It is also to ensure your privacy and to prevent others from hearing the details of your conversation.
7. Don’t interrupt people when they are talking. When you interrupt them, you create the impression that whatever they are saying is not important. Rather, try to listen to them well for effective communication.
8. When talking to people, look them in the eye as people consider this as polite. However, don’t fix them with a piercing stare as people consider that as aggressive and intimidating.
10. When you borrow money from someone, return the money even before the person demands it. The person may really need the money, but may be too shy to ask you for it. As such, when you don’t return the money on time to the person, you cause that person a great inconvenience.
Have you breached any of these social etiquette rules? How did you handle the aftermath of the breach? Kindly share your experience to enable us better appreciate these rules.
I had the unpleasant experience of a friend telling me to mind my own business when I tactfully hinted to her that it seemed that she had put on weight. In reality, she had put on so much weight that she walked with difficulty. When she complained to me of knee pain, I suggested that weight loss could be a long-term solution. She angrily told me that her weight was her problem and that she had not asked me for money to go to the hospital.
It would be great to add on to this list of rules. Kindly indicate any other rules that come to mind. You may post your comment by clicking on the chat icon beneath the heading.
Cheers to being courteous and to practising good social etiquette!
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