There once was a time, in what is now the distant past, that a gentleman would tip his hat, a lady would offer a cheerful ‘good day,’ and neighbors would wave and say hello instead of glaring over their fences like characters in a low-budget courtroom drama. Back in the day, you could ring a stranger’s doorbell without fearing he – or she – would shoot you through the door.
These days, though, it seems that good manners are as the dodo bird or Blockbuster video stores. In 2025, I’m left wondering: are good manners truly going the way of the 8-track player, destined to become more than a nostalgic relic of yesteryear?
Whether it’s the daily drama of public life or the latest viral video, examples of discourtesy abound like mushrooms after a rainstorm. Take the supermarket, for example. The supermarket, once the place for cheerful small talk among total strangers in the checkout lines, is now ground zero for territorial disputes over shopping cart space.
Recently, a man in Florida made headlines for cutting in front of a pregnant women at the salad bar. When asked why he would do such a thing, he reportedly replied, “She doesn’t even need a salad, she’s eating for two.” If they ever give awards for brazen audacity, this guy will be at the top of the list of nominees.
And what about our streets? Pedestrian etiquette seems to have turned into a dystopian free-for-all. In a particularly egregious incident, a jogger in London pushed a fellow pedestrian into traffic for being in the way. Fortunately, the would-be victim was unharmed—physically at least. But as for that person’s faith in humanity, it probably evaporated.
And, you know, it’s not just everyday citizens contributing to this epidemic of incivility. The rich and famous are also doing their part. Take the world of politics, an arena that now resembles a reality show more than a dignified exchange of ideas. Who can forget the moment in American politics when a senator, during a live debate, was caught doing an eyeroll worthy of an audition for a soap opera? Or when a congressman shouted, ‘You lie!” during a presidential address to Congress? Call me old-fashioned, but I’ve always thought that heckling was for sports arenas, not legislative chambers.
Celebrities aren’t off the hook either. I’ll bet everyone remembers the awards show when one A-lister slapped another on live TV over a joke. What a time to be alive! Instead of showcasing their talents, these cultural icons have taken to airing their grievances with all the subtlety of an amateur wrestler. Needless to say, it leaves the rest of us wondering if the crème de la crème can’t keep it together, what hope is there for the rest of us?
Now, you might be asking, have good manners fallen out of favor? Is it the influence of social media, where anonymity emboldens the worst impulses? Perhaps. Twitter wars can escalate faster than you can say ‘delete your account,’ and influencers are rewarded for ‘clapbacks’ rather than constructive dialogue, or maybe it’s the pace of modern life. Who has time for pleasantries when there’s a 24-hour news cycle to consume and a TikTok dance trend to master?
For all the gloom, though, hope is not entirely lost. We still have those rare, shining moments of kindness that break through the fog of discourtesy, like the woman who paid for a stranger’s groceries when his credit card was declined, or the bus driver who waited an extra minute for a late passenger.
These acts may be rare, but they remind us that good manners are not extinct; they’re just hiding, like vintage treasure in an attic, waiting for their chance to shine again, if we’ll only take them out and dust them off.
So, what do you get from all this? Maybe, the next time you feel the urge to honk your horn at a slow driver, cut in line, or throw insults on social media, take a moment to pause and consider the alternative.
A kind word, a patient smile, a tip of an imaginary hat, these small acts of courtesy could be the antidote our fractured world needs right now. After all, wouldn’t it be nice to prove that good manners haven’t disappeared, but are just in need of a comeback? Let’s make politeness the retro trend of this decade. | NWI
