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What is etiquette?
"Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use." - Emily Post
Whether you are seeking to improve yourself, personal relationships in your community or to expand your business, a strong grasp of proper social protocol will improve your life.
Someone who knows how to act appropriately, dress respectfully and fulfill important social pleasantries will be received well in society. The right attitude and demeanor can open doors you never knew existed.
History of Etiquette
(by Cynthia Riede, Etiquette-guide.com)
From Prehistoric Man to the Victorians
Etiquette's history spans for many centuries. Wherever and whenever mankind existed, so does behavior, and the need for basic guidelines regarding conduct. Although the rules of etiquette were quite different for prehistoric man than those for members of the Royal French Court, all abide by the basic tenets of respect and courtesy.
Prehistoric people probably cared little about the placement of stones and the like for use as eating implements. For them etiquette was all about survival and getting along with one another. Ways to behave and act were based purely out of practicality and necessity. For instance the handshake- a simple gesture that we regard today as that of friendship and goodwill- has its roots in practice of extending one's hands to show that no weapons were being carried. This was one of the first and most basic instances of manners in action; it was a way of establishing peace and respect.
By the Middle Ages, men still extended their hands to show that they were not carrying weapons, but more elaborate rituals of behavior developed based upon simple necessity and respect. For example, when a Renaissance woman had a difficult time maneuvering out of a carriage, it was thoughtful for a gentleman to offer his hand to aid her. This gesture lives on today as a man will offer to assist a woman out of a vehicle.
In the French Royal Courts of the 1600's and 1700's extending hands was still quite common, but now it was accompanied by bowing and scraping and kissing and pomp. Manners had become serious business, so serious, that aristocrats were issued "tickets" of admission to court ceremonies that had elaborate code of conduct printed on the back. "Etiquette", by the way, is the French term for "ticket." Thanks can be given to Louis XIV's master gardener at the Garden of Versailles for its incorporation into current use. The gardener annoyed at noblemen trampling across his pristine lawns, posted "etiquettes" with the admonition "Keep Off the Grass". Louis XIV instructed everyone in the court to "Keep within the etiquettes." This gave birth to the term meant to convey a specific and strict code of conduct also came into being: etiquette.
The Victorians, with their immense sense of propriety, took the rules of etiquette to a new level. Thick scholarly books were written, devoted entirely to the specifics of everything from "Art of Dress" to "Soirees, Musicals and Lawn Parties". Etiquette was incorporated in very young woman's curriculum along with math and literature. The Victorians, being Victorian, thought of every detail, and had a rule for every behavior imaginable.