Debate

Do Manners Matter?EXPERTS SAY WE'RE TURNING INTO A BUNCH OF SAVAGES.

SHOULD WE CARE?

Amajor crisis isthreatening America.And no, we're nottalking about theeconomy or climate

change or the fact that there arefour TV shows on the air starringmembers of the Kardashian family.

The problem is that Americanshave become extremely—evendangerously—RUDE.

The evidence is everywhere,from the guy chatting on hiscell phone in the middle of TheDark Knight Rises to your bestfriend never thanking you for theawesome birthday gift you gaveher. And while obnoxious behavioris nothing new, 69 percent ofAmerican adults surveyed in 2010said they think Americans aregetting ruder. What is going on?

A Code of BehaviorAccording to experts, impolite

behavior is worse than annoying;it's threatening our civilized way oflife. Think about how many fightsare caused by rudeness—^brawlsthat break out when people cut inline or road rage that erupts whenone driver cuts off another. "Goodmanners are a code of behavior forhow we treat one another," says

P. M. Forni, a civQity expert andJohns Hopkins University professor.

A few years ago, shoppers at aNew York Walmart took rudenessto a new, and extreme, level. Beforethe store was scheduled to openfor a pre-Christmas sale, a crowdsmashed the store's glass doors andcharged inside. Many were hurt.One man was killed. The shoppersrushed by. No one stopped to help.

Of course, most rudeness doesn'tresult in death and destruction.

But the Walmart stampede is anexample of what can happen whenpeople fail to show considerationfor others.

Who Cares?Manners might not seem like

a big deal, especially when youconsider all the serious problemsfacing the world, like war, poverty,and disease. You have a lot in yourown life to worry about too—school, sports, pressures from

22 SCHOLASnC SCOPE • SEPTEMBER 3, 2012

friends and family. Does it reallymatter if you forget to say "please"or "thank you"?

Besides, our society has becomemore casual. We send text messagesinstead of handwritten letters. Wesay "no problem" instead of "you'rewelcome." It's not that people don'tcare about each other; it's just thatour standards of conduct are lessformal than in the past.

Plenty of Americans, however,are fighting to keep formal mannersalive. At etiquette schools aroundthe country, you can learn how toaddress the Queen of England andthe difference between a salad forkand a dirmer fork.

Ultimately, though, knowingwhich fork to use isn't as importantas simply being aware of thosearound you. After aU, most peoplearen't deliberately rude. That kid onthe bus wasn't trying to gross youout by picking his nose; he just hasa bad habit. That girl at the malldidn't realize her headphones wereemitting an earsplitting whine; shewas just grooving to Rihanna. Inother words, most rudeness resultsfrom simple CEirelessness.

Still, you might feel dorky as theone person who holds the doorfor others or refuses to start eatinguntil everyone is served. But don'tworry. Studies show that teens withgood manners are more likely to besuccessful: They get higher grades,receive better pay at their jobs, andare more impressive in interviews.

Even better? Your good mannerswill make the world a happier, safer,and more peaceful place. •

What Do You Think?Should you care about manners?Use evidence from the article to support eachside of this debate. Write the informationon the lines below.

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EXAMINE POINTS ON BOTH SIDES—AS WELL AS YOUR OWNBELIEFS AND EXPERIENCES. Decide what you think. State youranswer in one sentence below. This can become the thesis statement for anargument essay on this topic.

GET THISACnVITYONLINE

TAKE THIS ACTIVITY FURTHER! WRITE ANESSAY USING OUR 5C0P£ TEMPLATE.

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