We have been living and investing in a low-inflation environment with falling interest rates for more than 20 years. Currently, all the evidence indicates we are headed for higher inflation and higher interest rates soon.
On August 9, JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater slid to fame down an Embraer 190 jet’s emergency evacuation chute clutching an ice-cold bottle of Blue Moon beer in both hands.
After 20 years on the job, the 38-year-old proclaimed that he had reached his limit of rude, abusive passengers. Apparently fed up with being disrespected, his departure was a flamboyant alternative to throwing his hands up in the air and declaring, “I’ve had enough.” So after using the plane’s PA system to bid farewell to stunned travelers and crew, Mr. Slater chose an exit strategy that was beyond our wildest imaginations.
Say what you will about his now legendary exit, Mr. Slater has become an overnight sensation. He has spawned multiple Internet blogs, Facebook pages, ballads, a reality show proposal and potential talk show gigs, book deals, movie rights and even a beer commercial.
Initially, it was reported that Mr. Slater’s dramatic farewell was in response to an insolent, non-compliant female passenger. However, only days after that unidentified traveler was vilified and Mr. Slater deemed a hero, the inevitable conflicting stories began to emerge. Some claimed that Mr. Slater initiated the incident, others suggested that he sensationalized, even fabricated the scenario before his memorable exit.
But facts and motivation aside, Mr. Slater’s behavior is a disheartening sign of the times, and far more than just a “take this job and shove it” mentality. His actions, be it as a victim or an instigator, are indicative of a more disconcerting issue: a breakdown in decorum and our increasing disregard for and lack of respect and consideration towards one another. Civility, it appears, has become passé.
We live in a fast-paced, stressed, uncertain world and have all encountered and most likely participated in varying degrees of rudeness. And although there is no actual measure of the prevalence of social graces or lack thereof, there are persuasive indicators that Americans are cognizant of and disheartened by a perceived erosion of civility.
Nearly 70 percent of those questioned in an August 2005 Associated Press-Ipsos Public Affairs poll noted an escalation of rudeness in the last 20 to 30 years. The trend was observed in both metropolitan and rural areas, although 74 percent of urban dwellers reported a predominance of bad manners as opposed to 67 percent of those living in less populated regions. An overwhelming 93 percent of the respondents faulted parents for failing to teach their children the fundamental principles of civility. Celebrities, athletes, public figures, television and Hollywood were criticized for glorifying and perpetuating discourteous behavior.
The more recent August 2010 Rasmussen Survey of Rude Behavior concluded that 69 percent of the participants felt that Americans are becoming ruder and less civilized. It also found that what constitutes impolite behavior is determined by social and technological evolution, noting that 43 percent of adults—as opposed to 51 percent in its 2009 survey–considered it rude to engage in cell phone conversation while in public and within close proximity to others. Not surprisingly, adults over 50 are to a greater extent, inclined to consider that behavior—compulsory eavesdropping if you will—disrespectful.
Daniel Post Senning, spokesperson of the Emily Post Institute dedicated to personal and professional etiquette and the great-great-grandson of the organization’s namesake, explained this age-related disparity as a generational phenomenon. “Changing codes of conduct areperpetual. Social norms change so there is the perception of decline (in manners). Shifts occur in every generation and rules change around advancements in technology,” said Mr. Post Senning. He stressed that although most people are not intentionally rude, the inevitable shifts and changes of new technology such as cell phones and the Internet do not excuse “unconsidered behavior.”
Interestingly, despite generational differences, whilethe majority of us can attest to being on the receiving end of rudeness, fewer acknowledge our own unmannered behavior towards others.
“When someone else misbehaves it's due to their character; when I misbehave it's due to circumstances,” according to clinical psychologist Dr. Pauline Wallin who explains this inconsistency as attribution bias. In her book, Taming Your Inner Brat, she notes: “We all believe other people are rude, but our behavior is justified. When someone else does something we consider wrong, we tend to blame their personalities. The inner brat is the part that wants what it wants when it wants it and doesn't care who or what is destroyed in the process."
Even allowing for technological advancement and its impact on behaviors and protocol, Dr. Wallin acknowledges that “cell phones are very distracting. But so are other things. So if we take cell phones out of the mix, people are still focused on their own agendas, which are so much more important than everyone else's. Thus, they are oblivious to other people's needs. The irony of all this is that people who do focus on others more than on themselves, even for a few seconds (such as holding a door open or doing another random act of kindness) are generally happier than those who focus on themselves.”
Lynne Truss, author of the book, “Talk to the Hand – The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door,” is more blunt, calling ours “an age of social autism in which people just can’t see the value of imagining their impact on others and in which responsibility is always conveniently laid at other people’s doors....The principle of civil reciprocity appears to be on its way out.”
So what does it take to restore some good old-fashioned manners and respect to our routines? A smile, a simple “please” and “thank you” can go a long way. “Excuse me,” “I apologize” or I’m sorry” can often soften or even pardon a multitude of sins. This behavior is free but requires effort. It is a voluntary, learned conduct that transcends age, race, religion, political affiliation and socioeconomic status. It requires discipline, practice and reinforcement.
-Gayle S. Fixler has a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Arizona State University, is a Washington, DC freelance writer and a regular contributor of Reflections.
