One of my most favorite books of all time is How To Be A Gentleman : A Contemporary Guide to Common Courtesy .  In the years that I have owned this book, it has taught me things I did not know, and confirmed other things that I thought to be true.

There are a lot of ugly things in the world.  Behaviors and attitudes that if brought under the harsh glare of daylight should cause shame or at a minimum, pause.  How to be a Gentleman brings some courtesy and civility into a world that seems to have lost much of the same.

I guess maybe it’s just where I am right now, but it seems timely to put this post together and share this with the world.  Enjoy some of these some wonderful excerpts from the book.

In a theater, church or any place where people have gathered to hear music, a gentleman always turns his cell or pager off.

A gentleman does not hesitate to screen his calls.
A gentleman never eats his lunch while he is behind the wheel of a vehicle.

A gentleman does not assume it is the other person’s responsibility to provide the condoms.

A gentleman does not use his car horn indiscriminately.  On the other hand, he is not sheepish about giving an occasional honk to avoid disaster.

If the hour is terribly early or extremely late, a gentleman does not phone a private residence.

A gentleman does not feel obliged to invite other people’s pets to his house.

A gentleman does not touch other people’s children, unless he is invited to do so.

If a bellhop offers to assist a gentleman in hailing a cab, a gentleman accepts the offer, understanding that a tip is implied.

A gentleman never feels that he must say pleasant things about unpleasant people.  Even when describing pleasant people, he does not stretch the truth.  Goodness, when accurately described, can stand on its own.

A gentleman always offers to share his umbrella.

Unless he is a Texas Ranger or a cattle rancher, a gentleman does not wear cowboy boots with a suit.

When a gentleman feels the urge to color his mustache, he shaves his mustache off.

Although a gentleman usually takes his shirts to a laundry, he also knows how to use an iron and a can of spray starch.

A gentleman knows when it is all right to eat the garnish.

If a gentleman’s meal is slow to arrive from the kitchen, and if others at the table have been served, he urges them, “Please, go ahead without me.”  And he means it.

A gentleman never crunches on his ice cubes, except in the privacy of his home.

A gentleman knows that “please” and “thank you” are still the magic words.

And finally,

Unless he is teaching an English class, a gentleman does not correct another person’s grammar.  On the other hand, a gentleman monitors his own grammar scrupulously.

I hope you enjoyed these words of wisdom.