I just saw a post on this site by Lee Distad on Why Good Manners Make a Difference.

I liked Lee’s post as it questioned whether or not manners are going “out of style” so to speak.  I think we have come into an era where the entitlement attitude of the celebration generation may very well affect the use of “please” and “thank you” in some cases.  If you believe that you are owed an item, why would you ask politely for it?  Once it is in your possession, why would you thank someone for giving you what you already should have possessed?

I’m not saying the whole of the generation is affected but there are some generalizations that could be fairly made to this effect.

This analysis is not mine alone.  SNL took shots at this generation that has “never been punched” in their farcical show “You Can Do Anything!”  Authors like Charles Murray and his “Curmudgeon’s Guide to Getting Ahead” are trying to help job seekers in this era interview well with the generation above them.  There are obviously many more examples.

As my kids sat at the table and asked, “Can I please have a glass of milk?” at dinner and afterward said, “Daddy, thanks for taking us to Yogurtland!”, I felt a little light at the end of the tunnel.  All is not lost, we just need to teach those around us about manners and etiquette.

With that, I also posted a revamp of the blogs I wrote about sales etiquette in 2011 in case you know someone who could benefit from reading them!  I’ve condensed them down from five posts to one here.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.