Sea Island Life Magazine Spring/Summer 2014 | Page 70

MODERN
MANNERS
Even in the digital age, brushing up on one’s
etiquette can create new opportunities.
BY GWYN HERBEIN

T

he terms “etiquette” and “manners” often bring to mind images
of handwritten thank you notes,
gentlemen opening car doors for
women, prim and proper ladies
daintily sipping tea with napkins folded perfectly across their laps or eating a gourmet
meal with the correct utensil for each course.
era, well-established etiquette protocols still
guide many social interactions, albeit with
less formality than in previous generations.
Even in today’s hectic, constantly connected and overly scheduled society, good
dining manners, professional etiquette and
common courtesies should not be neglected.
Fortunately, for those who may need a
refresher course—or for parents who want to

ensure their children get started on the right
foot in their social lives—there are myriad
books, classes and etiquette experts to guide
the way.

The Evolution of Manners
Most experts agree that, for previous generations, manners were passed down from
adults to children. This has changed as
many families don’t live within such close
proximity of each other, according to Cindy
Haygood, co-founder and training director
at the Etiquette & Leadership Institute in
Watkinsville, Ga. “A long time ago, we all
lived within moments of our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, so a lot of [lessons
in etiquette were] passed down because you
ate with them,” Haygood says.

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