Since I can remember, I have been taught to recognize and respect people’s differences. Some people are introverts while some are extroverts. Some people are optimistic, while others are pessimistic. These differences are what makes us “us,” and they are what make the world a more interesting place. We all have various characteristics that make us “the way we are.” Therefore, I am not trying to say that we should drop these characteristics; I obviously understand that everybody is not the same.
However, we all should share some sort of common morality that helps make society a better place in general. But there’s the problem -- not everybody understands this common morality. As I grow older and get closer to the real world, I have noticed that many, many people lack basic manners and politeness. Here are three examples.
“I saw so and so on campus a few minutes ago and she pretended she didn’t notice me.”
“Oh… yeah... that’s just the way she is. She’s actually really nice!”
Excuse me, but “that’s just the way she is” is not an excuse not to participate in a simple “hello” on campus. I fully understand why it may be awkward to say hello (it’s awkward for me too sometimes); however, try setting a goal to say “hello” to people you recognize on campus and I can almost guarantee that you’ll feel better about yourself.
“I’m really bad with names… that’s just the way I am!”
Nope -- it’s pretty easy not to try to learn people’s names and use the excuse, “I’m bad with names” to justify it. Of course, I understand that you cannot remember everybody’s name, especially in a short time span. Nevertheless, it’s basic human decency to attempt to remember somebody’s first name.
“I have no patience.”
I truly do not believe that patience is something people are born with; it is something people must learn as they get older. Of course, I understand that some people may be more patient than others; however, changing a group’s plans simply because you “have no patience” is not justifiable. At some point we all have to grow up and gain some sort of patience.
As I said before, I obviously understand that not everybody is extremely friendly. Some people are anxious when it comes to saying “hello” or simply smiling at somebody. However, these small acts of kindness are truly what make our society an overall friendlier environment.
Next time you ignore eye contact with somebody for no reason (because, trust me, there are some people you have to avoid eye contact with…) please reconsider it. That person may notice that you ignored him or her, and their feelings may get hurt. And next time you use, “That’s just the way I am” as an excuse for rude behavior, remember that although it may be hard to change, you cannot live your whole life constantly practicing disrespect.
