We, as a culture, have lost the art of being gracious. We have ceased to be kind. Graciousness appears easy, but it is not. Mere manners are not graciousness. Manners are rules; but graciousness is a state of being: it emanates from your identity and inner life. Graciousness requires a high level of self-confidence and self-awareness. Manners can be faked, but graciousness is authentic. One of the biggest problems that I see is in the receiving of help or gifts. People have no idea how to appropriately receive gifts or help. Always smile and say thank you. If the help is authentically given and will do no damage, always accept it. If it may actually cause damage to people or items, then by all means decline, but do so graciously. Do not question the motives of the person offering. It is a kind action, no matter the ulterior motive. (This applies to ordinary social situations, of course). If someone opens a door for you, it usually has no bearing on who you are: they are doing it because of who they are. If someone offers to assist you with your bags, graciously accept the help. Now, the obvious caveat is if a valet is offering, and you dont wish to be indebted and required to pay, graciously decline. Your general treatment of people is a reflection of who you are. Treat others the way that you wish to be perceived. Of course, my assumption with this is that you wish to be perceived well. Let us return grace and dignity to everyday interaction. Let us hold doors for people. Smile. Say thank you. Offer assistance, whether the person needs it or not. Let us graciously accept the help when it is offered to us. Be Kind. And let others be kind to you.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 22:39:37 +0000
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