A Gentleman's Guide

Here are some interesting thoughts on being a gentleman. Make sure you click through and read Grim’s take on it. Excellent stuff.

So a gentleman is much more than well-dressed and courteous. That being said, I recently picked up a small book on how to conduct oneself as a gentleman. It is more accurately a book on courtesy and manners for men (buncha animals). As I am currently into ongoing serial posting, this will be my first post relaying some of the information found therein (are you listening Jake Commando and Shamrock?)!

I must admit that this little book has made me look much better than I truly am in real life (not that my mother didn’t teach me well, just that we never got to tuxedo etiquette on the farm). There are copious amounts of nuggets here and I don’t believe all of them to be correct. In fact, I won’t post those that I find dubious. Now, I will shamelessly reprint some of these nuggets for you here. Easy to read, I recommend this book for anyone who has a high school or college age boy. Enjoy (and some of you should probably absorb… damned, dirty apes).


A Gentleman Experiences Real Life

• A gentleman never makes himself the center of attention. His goal is to make life easier, not just for himself but for his friends, his acquaintances, and the world at large.

• If a gentleman has a cold, especially if he is running a fever, he declines all social invitations. If it is possible, he even stays away from the office.

• Because he respects other people, a gentleman always shows up on time for any performance, whether it is a concert, a motion picture, or a stage play. If he arrives late, he does not attempt to be seated until there is a suitable break in the performance. (In the case of a play or a musical comedy, his tardiness may require him to wait until intermission.) In every case, he follows the instructions of the ushers. If he behaves himself, a gentleman knows, a kindly usher may quietly ship him into a seat on the back row.

• A gentleman never forgets that watching a live performance is not the same thing as watching a TV show in his own living room. He does not talk during the performance – even during the very loudest music or sound effects. He does not shift about in his seat unnecessarily. And, if he has a tendency to cough, he always carries a cough drop. Should a gentleman find himself surprised by an uncontrollable coughing jag, he leaves the auditorium – both for his own good and for the good of others.

• At a concert of any other musical performance, a gentleman does not applaud until the end of a complete musical number. If he is unsure he would be well-advised not to start an ovation alone.

• In a theater, a church, or any place where people have gathered to hear music, a gentleman always turns his mobile phone and beeper off.

So, what do you think? Worthy of further posts? I recognize, by the way, that I'm stating the obvious for anyone over the age of 35. What say you?