It is abnormal to find a well educated person not being courteous in his actions or the way he speaks just because he feels that it is not necessary or he is just being pompous. Most of us fail to realise that being courteous speaks volume of us. Courtesy means being polite and treating others with equal respect as you would treat yourself. The common question is, where has courtesy gone in our society?
Courtesy and manners go hand-in-hand as courtesy means putting good manner into practice. Showing consideration and good manners brings out a feeling of worth which being courteous entails. The problem with common courtesy is that it is easily forgotten by people. So little effort is required to be courteous; actually, it takes less effort and energy to be courteous than to be brusque. Everyone wants to be acknowledged and appreciated. To be able to achieve that, you need to be courteous towards people if you desire the same treatment for yourself. Even in situations where you have authority over some people and you need to tell them what to do, you must not exert a negative authority over them. It is more pleasant to ask them in a courteous way. Bosses who treat their subordinates with courtesy always have a much loyal and productive staff.
Common courtesy centres on the realization that there are people around us who also share the environment with us. Showing courtesy shows the kind of upbringing which we had. Small courtesies will take a person further in life than expected. Courtesy shows politeness, it costs nothing but pays well. No one is too big or busy to practise courtesy. Courtesy is nothing, something that will require a specific training. But it could be a warm smile or a simple acknowledgement like “thank you” or “I am sorry” when you go wrong. Courtesy is one of the little things that make a huge difference in life. A courteous person that has no wealth is more likeable than one who is wealthy and is not courteous. Courtesy is very important in life because when you are courteous people have a good impression of you and respect automatically follows, instead of hatred. Learning to have courtesy is a must for everyone who desires to make progress in life.
Courtesy is a small investment that pays off well and big. Most times we allow our emotions overtake us, we seem not to care about how others feel about us. We are only bothered about what we want and how we feel. Being kind-hearted and humble goes hand-in-hand with being courteous. Appreciating everything that someone does to you will only be achieved if you are humble and courteous and not always trying to find fault in everything and everyone. Being courteous does not have to be towards only those you are familiar with but also to people whom you do not know; being courteous towards strangers is even more pleasing and fulfilling.
There are times in our lives when you are courteous, yet people react negatively. Do not allow the negativity of others to change how you act. Courteous people are more pleasant to be with and they tend to be happier and content with life. Courtesy costs nothing but buys a lot. Have you noticed that by just being courteous, many brilliant and talented people would have been successful in life, but have destroyed that chance by losing grip of one of the simplest and most noble virtues in the world. There is every reason to be courteous and no justification for rudeness. Treat other people with respect and dignity. Eric Hoffer says, “Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.” So, it is in your own best interest to always at all time exhibit courtesy in all you do and forge ahead in life. Take this as a courtesy call every one of us.