You can deny all you want that there is etiquette, and a lot of people do in everyday life. But if you behave in a way that offends the people you're trying to deal with, they will stop dealing with you...There are plenty of people who say, 'We don't care about etiquette, but we can't stand the way so-and-so behaves, and we don't want him around!' Etiquette doesn't have the great sanctions that the law has. But the main sanction we do have is in not dealing with these people and isolating them because their behavior is unbearable.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Etiquette matters because poor behavior leads to social isolation.
- In plain terms
- Break rules of conduct and people will stop dealing with you.
- What can you take from it?
- Maintain basic etiquette to avoid being isolated socially.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is etiquette a form of control?
- How do norms shape behavior?
Another view
It assumes social exclusion is the only penalty for bad behavior.
More from Judith Martin
If written directions alone would suffice, libraries wouldn't need to have the rest of the universities attached.
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Permalink to quote #3 'Dear Miss Manners: Does joint custody mean I always have to be polite to someone I can't stand?
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