{"id":3335,"date":"2026-07-06T17:08:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T17:08:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=3335"},"modified":"2026-07-06T17:08:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T17:08:58","slug":"silver-linings-is-etiquette-old-fashioned-or-still-relevant-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=3335","title":{"rendered":"Silver linings: Is etiquette old-fashioned or still relevant today?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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My wife and I recently attended a concert at Tuacahn put on by Jenny Oaks Baker. Just moments before the concert began, the audience turned in their seats when her father tried to slip into a seat unnoticed near the back of the amphitheater. But when you are the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is hard to go unnoticed. <\/p>\n

Read more Deseret News archives: The first All-Star baseball game was a blast<\/a><\/p>\n

After being seated with assistance from others, several children approached President Dallin H. Oaks. It was a cool evening, yet he greeted each child warmly \u2014 unable to stand without assistance, yet he removed his cap to shake their hand as they approached and wished them well. <\/p>\n

This gracious act \u2014 removing his cap for each person who approached him \u2014 went largely unnoticed by most. Yet, here he was, a 93-year-old leader held by millions to be a prophet of God, tipping his cap to 8-, 9- and 10-year-olds. <\/p>\n

By contrast, a few weeks later, I attended a public meeting. Local officials were seated on the stand, ready to begin the meeting. Two young men shyly approached the rostrum and extended their hands to each of these civic officials \u2014 neither made any attempt to stand and merely shook their hands without looking up, barely noticing them. <\/p>\n

My wife and I began a conversation not only about the changing times but also about the practicality of traditional etiquette in the modern world \u2014 and decided to find out what others thought about various traditional practices. <\/p>\n

We began by reading a series of comments on Reddit about men holding doors open for women, even though some women feel it is either demeaning or at least outdated for men to do this. <\/p>\n

Most considered men holding doors open for women to still be an appropriate gesture. It is a nicety \u2014 not a requirement, one person noted. Opening car doors for women was included as something nice to do, but not expected. <\/p>\n

Perhaps there is still room for niceties in the world. Yet it can be frustrating when the \u201crules of engagement\u201d we\u2019ve mastered over a lifetime suddenly seem to shift \u2014 and when guidelines that once signaled respect start being viewed as intrusive or irrelevant. <\/p>\n

For instance, think about what we call anyone who is older than we are. It\u2019s often been assumed that we need to use a special name: Mr., sir, ma\u2019am, Mrs. But one etiquette adviser, writing in the Reader\u2019s Digest, suggested that once a person is an adult, they establish common ground with other adults by becoming acquainted on a first-name basis.<\/p>\n

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As a young professional living in New Orleans almost 50 years ago, I was told by a respected senior manager, \u201cIf you call everyone \u2018Mr.\u2019 or \u2018Ms.,\u2019 you set yourself apart,\u201d he told me. \u201cIt is like saying, \u2018I\u2019m not on the same level as you.\u2019 That is not the way to be taken seriously. If you want your advice and opinion to matter, establish a level playing field.\u201d <\/p>\n

As we asked others for their input, we got a wide variety of comments. Here\u2019s what came up most often: <\/p>\n