COURTESY.

Shannon News, 24 July 1925, Page 4

COURTESY.

ITS DECLINE IN THE RUSH OF LIFE.

It seems true enough that certain virtues are, in any wide application or the word the prerogative of certain eras, declares John Blunt m the "Daily Mail." True courtesy, for instance, is, I am afraid, dying out, as the oldest generation now living gradually passes from th e stage. I don't mean that there are not still a great many courteous people, but only that courtesy as a universal virtue seems to have required a quieter and more spacious age for its development. We always think of courtesy as ojte of the traits of the "fine old English gentleman," and I was remine Ed very strongly of this when I read of Mr. Baldwin's tribute to the venerable /Lord Coventry, when presenting him with a diamond wedding gift. He spoke of Lord Coventry's "exquisite courtesy," and it made me wonder of how many people, now in the height of their powers, whether famous or obscure, this same expression could justly be used.

It seems to me "an infinite pity that this charming quality, which does so much to oil the wheels of life and helps to make existence more pleasant for us all, should be allowed to become blunted in the rush and hurry of to-day. Courtesy adds to the amenities of existence and tends, in its very nature, to create a better atmosphere all round. And after all, it. cost nothing. The only thing necessary are an innate desire not to hurt other people's feelings, and a certain sense of human solidarity. Courtesy has nothing to do with • hyprocisy. The hypocrite pretends to be polite because he wants to get something out of you; the courteous man is polite because he wants to put you at your ease. He may entirely disagree I with you and let you know it, but he never willingly wounds your feelings, for he always remembers that you are a human being like himself. There is a kind of idea abroad in the world that efficiency is often allied to rudeness. For all I know it may be true that many efficient peo- ' pie are rude; but it is certainly equally true that many efficient people are te. The rude efficient man is, I should suppose, less efficient than the polite efficient man, for the one puts people's backs up and the other wins them over to his side. But real courtesy goes farther than mere politeness. Politeness may be impersonal and cold, but courtesy gives you a eeling of personal warmth. The truly courteous man is not content with fulfilling the letter of politeness; he endeavours to go further and make you feel that he is really interested and would like to be of some help. And that, perhaps, is why courtesy, in the good old-fashioned sense is dying out in a generation which seems !•) have lost the art of doing things graciously.