“What is Etiquette,” You Ask?

Etiquette and the Golden Rule: John Caveman came to learn that it was smart to speak gently to his neighbor if he didn't want a sizable stone ax bounced on his skull.

You can find a lot of definitions of the word “etiquette” in the dictionary. Boiled down, they all mean about the same thing as that old copy-book favorite: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Even back in the days when our ancestors trotted around in skins, John Caveman came to learn that it was smart to speak gently to his neighbor if he didn't want a sizable stone ax bounced on his skull. Probably it would cost John a good many burned houses, stolen wives, and private wars to find that out, but sooner or later he had to admit that the surest way to success in life is by getting along with other people.— From “Manners for Moderns,” by Kathleen Black, 1938

🍽️Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia