I’ve always loved chess. I’m not very good at it, but I like the concentration it requires and the semi-academic sense I always get when playing it. Something about a game of chess suggests refinement and maturity (at least to me) and I’ve been wishing, lately, that more people approached conversation they way they should approach chess.
Archive for the ‘Manners’ Category
Civility, and Chess
Friday, March 5th, 2010Playing the Peacemaker is a Bad Idea
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010As human creatures, we tend to like the notion of things like diplomacy and peacemaking. It takes a grown-up person, possessed of patience and compassion, to resolve conflict reasonably in his or her own life. And it takes an even better person to mediate the disputes of others, to smooth the way to common ground, to convince those around them to make amends. I, dear readers, am no such person. And probably, you aren’t either. Let me tell you why….
Facebook, forums, foibles
Thursday, January 21st, 2010Back when the internet and I were still new to each other, I thought forums were the greatest invention ever. The idea that people, from different backgrounds, from different parts of the world, could discuss any given topic together, thrilled me. How quickly the novelty vanished.
The Gracious Silence (or, Self-Preservation)
Thursday, December 31st, 2009I used to call myself ‘the once and future history major’ because, yes, kind readers, I did think (in some small, brilliant remnant of myself that I fancy might be a soul) that majoring in History was just as important as being king.
Frenemy Mine
Saturday, December 26th, 2009I’ve had an enjoyable holiday season, I’ve made new friends, reconnected with old ones, and find myself reflecting that what I enjoy most about the end of the year is the extra effort people make to reach out to each other. And I found myself thinking, albeit very briefly, about friendship and a lesson some dozen years in the making.
Becoming the Perfect Customer
Thursday, December 17th, 2009Behaving well almost always behooves you. That is especially true when eating out. Having spent ample time behind the scenes in the food industry, I can assure you, one and all, that if you mistreat the people that prepare and ferry your food, you run a high risk of it being tampered with. (By ‘tampered’ I mean deliberately over-or-under-cooked, spit upon, dropped on the floor, or any other monkey shines the staff come up with.) Be nice to the food handlers. They are generally overworked, underpaid, routinely disrespected, and itching for revenge.
Misinterpreting the 21st Century
Wednesday, July 14th, 2010I’m afraid my readership isn’t going to be broad enough to solve this problem, but I’m still going to try. People… spread the word. It’s the 21st century. It really is. But lately when I’ve gone out in public I’ve encountered compelling evidence to suggest that not everyone’s taken a close look at their calendar.
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