Etiquette

Etiquette is a code of behaviour that helps people get along with one another. some people think of etiquette as a set of rigid rules concerning such subjects as the proper dress for a party, the organization of a wedding, or the setting of a dinner table. but etiquette deals with a much wider range of behaviour. In addition, etiquette changes and adapts along with changes in society. People continue to learn etiquette all through their lives.

Each culture has its own system of etiquette, and these systems may differ greatly. Behaviour that is proper in one culture may be improper in another. In Japan, for example, people take off their shoes before entering a house. However, in any European countries, guests would be considered impolite if they removed their shoes.

Etiquette also varies within a culture. People who live in large cities have customs that differ from those of residents of small towns. For example, in large cities, most people do not drop in on each other uninvited. In small towns, an occasional visit from a friend, without any warning, is considered a friendly gesture.

A special form of etiquette called protocol is observed at social functions attended by government officials, military officers, foreign diplomats, and high level people in business and the professions. Protocol ensures that these men and women receive the respect due (to) their office or status.

Etiquette today concerns itself less with rigid rules governing formal occasions, and more with everyday living. The goal is to help people of all life styles get along with one another. Etiquette today is based on common sense and consideration of the other person. Etiquette is as dynamic as the society it reflects.

Habit

Habit is something a person learns to do over and over again without thinking about how to do it. Many everyday actions are habits. Imagine how difficult it would be to walk down the street if you had to think of every action needed to take every step. A habit is different from an instinct. An instinct is behaviour that is inborn, instead of learned.

Most habits begin as actions that a person is aware of. The more the person performs an action, the easier it becomes. Strong habits become automatic, and require little or no thought.

Psychologists generally agree that a stimulus must be present each time the habit is carried out. A stimulus may be an internal event, such as a feeling of lonileness, or an external event, such as a red traffic light. In some people, for example, a feeling of lonileness triggers the habit of eating sweets. A red traffic light is a stimulus to an experienced automobile driver. It triggers the habit of pressing the brake pedal. To learn this habit, each new driver must practice under actual traffic conditions, learning to press the brake pedal when the light is red.

Some habits are simple and require only movements of the muscles. When approaching a door, a person grasps the doorknob. The movement seems quite natural, but the person once had to learn this habit. Some habits are more than simple motor acts. They are thoughts and attitudes we have about things and people. Some of these habits are good and others are bad, depending on how they affect other people. We learn good habits to act as others expect us to act. Neat appearance and pleasant manners are considered good habits. A person may learn bad habits, thinking something can be gained from them. But such habits may be annoying to others.