The 1960s were a time when The Beatles ruled the airwaves, everyone dressed like they were about to attend a fancy garden party and etiquette was…well, not just a choice but a way of life. It was a decade when few polite gestures were as essential as breathing, but fast-forward to the present day, and it’s as if they vanished into thin air. Let’s take a look at 18 polite gestures from this time that have sadly left our daily routine.
1. Tipping
Raising a hat was a universal gesture of recognition and respect. But it has disappeared now with the decline of hat wearing. As fashion developed, this practice became less important, and with it a piece of yesterday’s elegance disappeared. Today, people prefer more casual clothes and informal greetings.
2. Your seat width
Giving your seat to someone in need used to be completely automatic, but today, survival of the fittest is paramount. Blame it on the digital bubble we live in, where the outside world is often just a blur until our battery runs out. The idea of “seeing” someone else’s needs requires looking up from our screens, a habit we broke somewhere along the digital highway.
3. Handwritten thank you notes
The handwritten thank you note has gone beyond thanks to the ease of digital communication. Why? Because who has time between tweets, snaps, and Instagram updates to sit down with pen and paper? Our thumbs seem too busy swiping to use a pen, and honesty now comes from likes and retweets rather than thoughtful prose.
4. Show someone to their door
Walking someone to their doorstep was the ultimate gesture that showed you truly cared about their well-being. Now, it’s all about ‘drop a pin’ and ‘tell me when you get home’. The digital leash gives us a false sense of security. And let’s be honest, taking off our shoes and streaming our favorite show by the time someone else arrives at their door has become the new norm!
5. Keep doors open
Many people deal with uncertainty about opening the door. Is it a trap? Flirty gesture? Or just a nice person? The advent of automatic doors and the general rush to get through our day means we’re less concerned with stopping and serving and more concerned with the hustle and bustle. It’s not a personal matter, it’s just the pace of today’s world.
6. Dressing for air travel
Gone are the days when flying felt like attending a party in the sky. Now, it’s all about stretching out on aisle six in your yoga pants. The shift from style to comfort reflects our changing lifestyle, where being Instagram-ready can happily coexist with wearing pajamas in public. Air travel is no longer an occasion but another means of transportation, with less legroom.
7. Waiting to serve food to everyone before eating
The ritual of waiting for everyone to be served before digging has been replaced by the routine of fast food, sawing and eating. Today, we worry that our meal might get cold while we’re busy creating our online persona! Forget communal dining, sharing a meal has a digital meaning instead.
8. Make introductions
The art of making introductions, complete with basic information, has largely disappeared. Not because we don’t care about others, but because Google does it for us. Why follow formalities when a quick search can tell you everything from someone’s job to the name of their cat?
9. Addressing people by nicknames
The shift from “Mr. Smith” to “Hey John” was caused by the advent of social media and changes in the workplace. It flattened hierarchies, and with them, formalities that maintained distance. Now, first names are everywhere, even if they sometimes go beyond the respect that using someone’s surname requires
10. Listen more than speaking
The art of active listening is now extinct. People are eager to talk much faster now that conversational pauses have become awkward silences. We’ve adapted to fill the void, to keep the conversation ball rolling at the speed of a text message. It’s not so much a lack of appreciation for what the other person is saying as it is a fear of the conversation not being clear.
11. Ditch the armrest
Armrest etiquette in shared spaces has now become a battleground as people ignore the middle seat for an inch of personal space. As we have become more protective of our personal bubble, the unspoken rules of armrest diplomacy have faded into the background noise. And let’s not get started on the legroom!
12. Respect personal space
The lack of boundaries of personal space is not a sign of growing disrespect, but rather a result of living in an increasingly crowded world. Public spaces have become more crowded, and our tolerance for proximity has also changed. We’ve become less sensitive to the elbow thrusts and backpack bumps that accompany modern life.
13. Avoid public arguments
Public arguments have become a spectacle for people to watch everywhere, thanks to reality TV and social media platforms. This shift is less about a loss of morality and more about stirring up drama in the digital age. Public spaces have become stages, and morality has given way to the appeal of widespread exposure.
14. Leaving parties
In the past, it was polite to stay at the party until the guest of honor left. Rush early? Unthinkable! It was a sign of respect, and the departure of the guest of honor was a signal that it was time for everyone to politely exit. This little dance of etiquette ensures that no one bypasses the main attraction.
15. Eating at the table
Gathering for meals at the table was a staple of family life, and an undeniable opportunity to connect over shared stories and dishes. Nowadays, with fast food and screens in every hand, group dinner times have become solitary snacking sessions. Netflix and personal pizza often win the evening!
16. Use your silverware properly
Speaking of food, once upon a time, a meal was a party complete with the appropriate use of silverware for each course. It was a sign of civility and a nod to culinary tradition. Fast forward to today, and we live in an age of food trucks and deli, where convenience is more important than formality. Getting a bite often means it literally.
17. Sidewalk rules
In the past, a real man would walk on the side of the street to protect others from puddles and passing carts. But these days, getting down the sidewalk is more about dodging scooters and staring at smartphones. The idea of staying to one side to keep the flow going? This is ancient history. It’s every pedestrian for themselves!
18. Use discretion in public
There was a time when common etiquette was king, like lowering your voice and making personal dramas… well, personal. Enter the age of smartphones, where every moment is Instagrammable, and privacy is openly regulated. Sharing has taken on a whole new dimension.
Bring them back!
Sure, some of these gestures may seem outdated or unnecessary in today’s world. However, they represent a time when thoughtfulness and consideration for others were part of our daily lives. Even in our modern world, there is certainly still room for us to bring back some of these magical practices. After all, a little politeness goes a long way!
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Arvin is a content writer from England. After graduating from the University of Nottingham with a BA in American and Canadian Studies, he then worked towards a teaching qualification. However, he soon realized that writing was his calling and started creating content for different blogs and writing scripts for YouTube as well. He has written entertainment, lifestyle, finance, politics, and various other articles. He may be British, but he sure loves America!
