Etiquette does not render you defenseless. If it did, even I wouldn't subscribe to it. But rudeness in retaliation for rudeness just doubles the amount of rudeness in the world.
Judith MartinRead
The rationale that etiquette should be eschewed because it fosters inequality does not ring true in a society that openly admits to a feverish interest in the comparative status-conveying qualities of sneakers. Manners are available to all, for free.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Etiquette is accessible to everyone, regardless of status, and should not be dismissed as it can foster equality.
Judith Martin emphasizes that etiquette, often dismissed as contributing to social inequality, is actually a tool available to everyone. In a society preoccupied with status symbols, like sneakers, manners should be promoted as they do not require wealth or privilege, thereby promoting a more equal social dynamic.
Themes
EtiquetteMannersEqualitySocietyStatus
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a presentation about the role of etiquette in modern society.
More from Judith Martin
All quotes →One reason that the task of inventing manners is so difficult is that etiquette is folk custom, and people have emotional ties to the forms of their youth. That is why there is such hostility between generations in times of rapid change; their manners being different, each feels affronted by the other, taking even the most surface choices for challenges.
Judith MartinRead
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