Where are your manners?

Let me paint a scene for you. It's a perfect day; everything is going your way and life is good. Now it's lunchtime and perhaps some Panda Express sounds like it will really hit the spot, so you head to Stamp.

You manage to dodge all of the sorority girls trying to sell you cupcakes, and you're about two steps behind someone who is walking in the door. Just as they walk in, they let the door close right in your face. "Thanks, bud" might sarcastically escape your flustered lips. You open the door and proceed to hold it open for the guy walking a few steps behind you. What does he do? Walk right in without even acknowledging your kind deed. "You're welcome!" either crosses your mind, or, if you're like me, will go jutting past your teeth. How rude! There goes your perfect day. Now you're in a foul mood, and those people are completely clueless. Maybe ignorance really is bliss.

I know this has happened to many of you. It happens to me at least a few times a week. It is always the smallest things, such as that annoying boy in class who is reading the newspaper during lecture, or that girl who apparently doesn't know how to put her phone on silent that can really deflate your mood.

Maybe this is just me, but I don't think so. There are definitely more people like me reading this, agreeing that the smallest things in life seem to matter the most. "More than one-third of 1,000 people polled rate the manners of Americans as poor," according to ABC News.  At least it isn't just us. Apparently the rest of America is rude, too.

What would the world be like if everyone was oblivious to social etiquette?

The world would be a train wreck of ill humor; a complete and utter disaster of an impolite, callous society.

So, maybe that's a bit harsh. Maybe there really is an explanation for the rude behavior. I notice all of these things about people, but let's not discount all of the rude things we do, too. I hit the "door close" button on the elevator every once in a while when I'm in a hurry, and I have certainly brought more than ten items to the "10 items or less" lane at the grocery store. At the time I am clearly more concerned with my own convenience rather than the convenience of others, just as those people who slam the door in my face are. When you're in a hurry, your own needs always tend to come before those of others. I'm sure some people are really just oblivious to the fact that what they are doing is an annoyance to others. I'm also sure that some people just don't care.

If you're one of those people who doesn't grasp the kind of impact that your impolite behavior can have on other people, then wake up. Try to start paying attention to the fine details of interaction throughout your day. If it seems questionable, stop yourself. Even if you are in a hurry or really don't feel like paying attention in class, find ways to alleviate your stress about the situation without impacting others. Who knows, you might even better someone's day rather than spoil it for a change.