Politic politeness
Posted by gkb on December 01, 1997 at 22:31:00:
In response to Courtesy, written by bob on November 29, 1997 at 21:30:19
] Courtesy is a set of rules can constrain, but it can also enable. In JA’s world (S&S), Elinor Dashwood has a mastery of that decorum that enables her to steer graciously through very troubled waters,
] In our world, we lack the grace and we lack the means of establishing the propriety in which graciousness can flourish.
A very good pair of points! It is especially incumbent upon small groups and intimate, or family relations to maintain a sense of civility that is refelcted in both language and behavior that meets a cetain standard of propriety. The existence on the Internet of the language activity known as 'flaming' is a contemporary example of the need for civil restraint. Similarly, courtesy should be more practiced on the highways. So many people seem to use two-ton vehicles to express their aggressive tendencies!
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