Manners In Different parts of the world

                              Rule of etiquette vary in different parts of the world. In the ancient world sharing food and shelter with strangers and friends went a long way.

                              Those who visited Arabs in their tents were obliged to eat with them. A guest in japan is given candies and cakes. To be polite, if  he or she cannot eat, such food items should be carried away. In the U.S, hostesses give their guests food to take home after a party. Early Greeks gave salt to a guest as a symbol of hospitality.
                               Tobacco pipe among the north Americans, Indians and people of  the Sub-Continent is sign of hospitality. The Ancient Greeks used their fingers to eat solid foods. The Romans and the Egyptians often used a common dish. In Asia and Africa and in other continents, traditional habits are long standing and deep rooted. So do not laugh at other people's customs and manners. All have a right for their cultural traits.

Good Manners

                                 Good manners help to win friends. Those who show good manners become popular. Teacher, employers, lawyers, especially need good manners.

                                The word etiquette is used for good manners. Etiquette is a french word that meant a "label" or "ticket". Later on a new meaning was given to it. To most of us etiquette means good manner. In the 18th century it became a common word in the English language.
                                 There are many books written on etiquette. Yet what is necessary to most of us is to know how to get on in ordinary and daily life. Good manners are not difficult. We are not born with good manners. Little by little children acquire good manners at home, in school, at work and in interaction with people.
                                 Irrespective of the professions,good manners should be cultivated by everybody. Laborers, the working class and the poor, however low their economic status is cannot be exempted from good manners. Actually good manners can lift people to the highest rung of the social ladder. Children and adults should be initiated into good manners in all walks of life.

Etiquette Bases On Principles

                           Etiquette, good manners and courtesy should be based on sound principles. It is not possible to please people going against all principles of honesty, decency and love. To tell a lie, to appear good, to steal to help a poor person, to remain silent when called to defend the innocence of a person, to trample the rights of a poor person, to help a rich person are against principles of decency.

                                 Friendliness too should be based on sound principles. A friend cannot  be always right. All that  a friend says and does cannot be accepted. It is not possible to say, yes to all that a friend says. Sometimes, it is necessary to say a firm, no, too. Principle based friendship can help personality growth. Such friendship can withstand many obstacles and difficulties to life and emerge victorious in the long run.

                                All areas of life whether it is at the highest or lowest level should be based on principles. Leaders and subjects, employers and employees, teachers and students, parents and children and human beings must follow principles of life. A double personality has no principles. to use weasel words according to circumstances cannot be based on etiquette.

How Modern Courtesies Started

                   Most forms of etiquette that we use today are of ancient origin. The handshake is one such thing. The early man held out his right hand the weapon-hand as a sign of friendliness and peace. The handshake become a very common gesture in the west.

                    In the east other forms of gestures replaced the handshake. Joining both hands and saluting, keeping one's hand on the forehead of a person, making a bow, etc, are some of them. Touching a person's feet and one's forehead means, may the dust of your feet be on  my head. Bending down and kissing the feet of elders is also a sign of ancient respect.

                   In the east some of the gestures, postures and movements started due to the castle system. In the modern world the caste system is unacceptable; every human being should not depend on castle, creed or class

                   As the world has become a global village with electronic journalism and mass media, many signs and symbols, postures, gestures and movements have become common to many nations. Common sense should be the hallmark of courtesies on all occasion. It is said that common sense is the most uncommon thing in the world.