Hey, guys! I bet you’re all well-mannered people. But do you always follow the rules of etiquette in the right way? It’s not only members of the Royal family that have to watch themselves in public. Here’s a short list of etiquette rules that you might be breaking every day and not even notice.
1. “Bless You!” It’s a common mistake to wish good health on a person who’s sneezing. If it happens in a family circle or among close friends, it’s okay. But if you’re, let’s say, on a business meeting trying to buy another prospective company, and somebody suddenly sneezes, it’s better not to say “Bless you!”, but to pretend as if you noticed nothing. In some special cases, it can be appropriate to offer a tissue, but that’d be it.
2. Proper hand to use. Once again, when somebody sneezes or coughs, he or she usually covers their face with their hand. It’s normally the right one. But that’s actually a mistake. Why? The answer is simple. Your right hand is considered “social” because when we greet a person we stretch out this hand. And when you cover your mouth with it while coughing, it gets covered in germs which later happily move to people who come into contact with you. This means that ignoring this rule helps microbes and bacteria take over the world and rule it. Just joking! Here’s one more thing about hands. Did you know that the etiquette specialists have identified even the proper way to carry your bag? It turns out that you should carry it on your left arm or shoulder, so that your right hand is free for handshakes.
3. Gym Etiquette. Yep! That’s right! There are ways to stay polite even in spaces where everybody works out. You already know you should keep a towel with you to wipe up your sweat. But did you know that it'd also be good etiquette to re-set weight machines at lower settings when you're finished using them? That way, the next person who uses the equipment won't injure themselves trying to lift a weight that's too heavy. And, maybe you’ll also keep them safe from being jealous of the fact that you’re way stronger.
4. When it comes to business etiquette, a common mistake is made when we introduce others. Here's the proper way to make introductions: Say the person's first name or Doctor, if appropriate, and introduce everybody present, starting from the highest rank to the lowest one. Like, “This is Dr. Jones, his associate Dr. Paul and their assistant John.”
5. Table etiquette. Yep, you’re right. Restaurants and fancy dinners are one of the most common situations where you definitely need to practice. So it’s important not only to be able to distinguish the salad fork from the desert one, but also to know how to use them properly. Oh, get ready! It’s a lot to take in. First of all, remember to always enter your seat from the right side and never shake someone's hand while seated. You should be passing food around the table in a counterclockwise direction, or to the right. This allows a sense of order when food is being passed, so that no one has one dish coming from the right and another from the left. There’s an exception though: if someone only a few places away from you on your left asks for something to be passed, go ahead and pass it to the left. I know that everyone knows how to use a fork and knife. But here’s a little reminder: when you’re pausing during your meal, put your fork on the left side of the plate, teeth down, and the knife on the right, with the blade turned to your plate. If you put your silverware on your plate parallel to each other, the waiter will think that you’re done with your meal and take it away, even if the plate is still half full. Don’t put the soup spoon on a tablecloth or napkin. Just leave it in the plate when you’re finished. And here’s an interesting tip for you about broth. If it’s served in a cup with one handle, you can drink it like tea. If the cup has two handles, you’ll need to use a spoon. For spaghetti and pasta, you’ll need both a fork and a spoon at the same time. Gather the spaghetti with the fork in your right hand and separate it from the rest of the dish with the spoon in your left. When it comes to the tea, make sure that when you stir sugar in the cup, you’re not too noisy with the spoon. But here’s another secret for you: move the spoon but back and forth, like a small pendulum, instead of a circular motion. This not only allows the sugar to dissolve better, but also helps you avoid rattling on the sides of the teacup. Phew! And these are only a few guidelines among many, which, to my mind, are necessary to be aware of. Now let’s have some more fun. Do you like traveling? To me, getting away is an essential part of every year. And just like me, a lot of people plan their vacations carefully. But it’s important not only to learn about perfect places to take photos for your Instagram, but also to be aware of some basic rules to avoid embarrassment in public, or worse: jail time!. Here’s a short list of dos and don’ts for you to remember when you’re far from home. Grab popcorn and enjoy! While traveling to South Korea, be aware of their respect towards the elder people. This is a national treat there. When one of your elders offers you a drink, the proper etiquette is to receive it with both hands, and then turn your head away as you take your first sip. By doing so, you not only show your respect to their culture, but also please your Korean friends with your knowledge of their customs. If you’re traveling to Greece, Turkey, Montenegro or Egypt, to name a few, please note that the plumbing may not be designed for flushing toilet paper. So, restrooms will have special trash cans to throw out used TP instead. Failure to heed this bit of toilet etiquette could lead to clogs and even floods. While in, let’s say, Italy, it’s normal to wave your hands back and forth while speaking, but be more careful with gestures in the Middle East. For example, if you suddenly get lost in Egypt and don’t know the language, try to avoid gesturing with your hands too much. Something as innocent as a ”thumbs up” can actually be very offensive there. Now let’s move to Europe! My first tip would be: turn down the volume. This may surprise you, but for the majority of European countries, it’s more common for people to use their library voice. Just try to imagine how a loud voice would boom in the cathedrals, museums, and cozy restaurants of Europe. Greet shopkeepers when you enter a store, and say goodbye when you leave. It’s pretty rude to not acknowledge them. Plus, the greeting gives you a chance to strike up a conversation. Chatting with a shopkeeper could lead to any number of wonderful discoveries, such as the best gelato nearby, and it can just be fun! In some countries, like France, for instance, hugging can be considered more intimate than kissing. Instead, when you greet someone you’re not that close to, be prepared to shake hands or kiss them. Yep, no kidding! To greet someone there, kiss them twice - once on each cheek. Or in some regions, even more. Along with the no-hug rule, you also should never bring your host chrysanthemums. No matter how beautiful these flowers might seem to you, in this country they’re associated with funerals. In Italy, while it’s still generally considered polite to let a woman to go through the door first, that rule goes away when entering a restaurant. Traditionally, by heading in first, the man will take care of talking to the host and getting a table. By the way, treat your server like a professional, and never gesture, snap your fingers, or do anything else that might make them seem beneath you. Actually, that applies to any part of the world. Okay, I’m done for now. Hopefully, adding these pieces of advice to your armory will definitely prevent you from winding up with egg on your face and leave a good impression no matter where you apply them – during a business meeting, traveling abroad or trying to impress your soul mate’s folks. And now it’s high time to ask what point of today’s list was the most surprising for you? Or, maybe you’re a master of etiquette and follow all these rules already? Let me know down in the comments! If you learned something new today, then share it with a friend. But – hey! – don’t go anywhere just yet! We have over many posts for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment