The Modern Woman and Etiquette in Public Places

Social skills and etiquette apply when you’re in public places. Modern or passé?

It used to be that there were things you did or said in private, you wouldn’t dream of doing in public or in the workplace. #oldschool #justbeingme #manners

Let’s start with the cell phone–annoying gossip, complaining, or worse, boring everyone to death with your mundane “She said…then I said…Then she said…” conversation! This isn’t exclusive to women.

When did we decide to toss away basic social skills and etiquette? I don’t refer to the fancy and formal stuff; just the basics. I’m not talking about being socially awkward… that can easily be fixed through advice on https://www.knowledgeformen.com/how-to-be-less-socially-awkward/. The social skills I want to see an improvement in is the plain rudeness and impoliteness in public.

Specifically, calling out the ladies; how does a let-it-all-hang-out type of attitude serve us?How does that help our image, reputation (professional and personal)? How does that help the young girls who are watching us?

I ran across Madame Noire which listed “7 Things That Some Women Have Got To Stop Doing In Public”, written by Victoria Uwumarogie.

The list reads: Women should stop: (8-14 are my two-cents)

fighting another woman…cursing on phone out loud, etc…
playing “too cute” to dance…standing there at a club–stay home!
letting your man do whatever to you in public–grabbing your butt…
ignoring a child’s bad behavior, to shop–sucks for everyone…kids running wild so that you can shop…opening lotions, leaving toys on the floor and you don’t do anything about it.
wearing shower caps in public: did the fire alarm go off and you had to run out of the shower? Crazy…this goes for men too!
overprotective girlfriends: giving the “stank face” for no reason…you introduce your BFF to your man or another girlfriend and she becomes ‘icy’…cold shoulder, changes her mood, sarcastic…
talking about people…right in front of them! Sending a text as you give the “stank look” to that person…gossiping–wait til you get home.
getting mad when a guy stares at you, when you wear something, short, low-cut, tight, or see-through. (vulgar or threatening behavior is quite another thing!)
checking-out other women and openly criticizing them.
talking or texting on your mobile phone while you’re with your child.
leaving your mess in the dressing rooms.
treating the shoe department sales person like a cr*p.
speaking to your man/woman in a disrespectful manner.
yelling–you look ridiculous.

What’s missing from that list? Send me your thoughts.

My Take: No matter how much society has changed, there are certain ways of behaving that are still considered unacceptable or at the very least, distasteful or unpleasant to be around. Imagine if a coworker or boss ran into this behavior–it wouldn’t do much for your career.

The difference today, is that no one dares to say anything; we just nod or roll our eyes and look the other way.

Certain behavior will get you the attention you seem to craving; in turn, you’ll lose your self-respect.

Helping Businesses and Individuals Find Success Through Better Communication and Social Skills

To learn new ways to handle those quirky coworkers, take a look at my book, “Don’t Burp in the Boardroom – Handling uncommonly common workplace dilemmas”

Rosalinda Randall, Social Skills, Civility & Business Etiquette Expert and Author. Rosalinda’s interactive presentations are filled with real-life, relatable examples. Her signature straightforward and humorous manner keeps the audience engaged and on the edge of their seat She provides on-site custom tailored presentations. Contact: 650.871.6200 or email.