Human Hierarchy—Creating Space for a Face
I have a friend who collects etiquette books. I’ve been thinking about manners a lot lately, and in the process, I think I’ve gained a bit of understanding of why she might collect them. It doesn’t seem to be a pursuit of figuring out the rules of life, observing etiquette, and getting social interactions “right,” but rather using the books as a collection of things that highlight the important points of our engagements with one another. Manners underscore what we feel is proper, and what is proper is what we agree about, and what we agree about goes a long way in establishing our culture. Manners are rules of engagement, they are how we interact. Manners don’t matter when you’re alone. Ask the bachelor.
