Episode 550 - Book Launch Flowers
Your Awesome Etiquette podcast episode for the week. Plus, the weekly etiquette challenge, Monday joke, and an etiquette extra on informal social deviance.
On today’s show, we take your questions on bringing flowers to a book launch, using china at a wedding reception, and only attending the visitation and not the funeral. For Community Members, we have a question about whether to say thank you when you’ve received flowers from a secret admirer…and figure out who the admirer is! Plus, your weekly challenge, etiquette salute, and a postscript segment on manners and principles.
Etiquette Extra - Informal Social Deviance
For today’s extra, we want to highlight a series of posts by Bola Otegbayo in the Nigerian Tribune that were composed as part of the Mental Health Diary series (where she previously tackled screen-time management). The prescriptions in the final essay for addressing the issues raised over the series could have been written by Emily Post had she donned a white coat herself. We were so interested to see how well they aligned.
So, how do we address informal social deviance? It all starts with awareness. Many people don’t realize they’re making others uncomfortable, so public conversations, social education, and gentle corrections can go a long way. Schools should include lessons on civic responsibility and etiquette. Workplaces should reinforce professional conduct. And as individuals, we should make an effort to be more mindful of our behavior and how it affects those around us…
Ultimately, informal social deviance will always exist, people will break norms for various reasons, whether out of ignorance, habit, or rebellion. But through awareness, education, and social reinforcement, we can create an environment where respect, consideration, and good manners become the norm rather than the exception.
PERSONALIZED SIGNED COPIES of Emily Post’s Etiquette - The Centennial Edition, the Mind Your Manners Trivia Game, and pre-orders for Emily Post’s Business Etiquette (a perfect graduation present) are available from our local independent bookstore, Bridgeside Books! Order yours today.
Weekly Awesome Etiquette Challenge
This week’s challenge is to reach out to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while–a family member or friend–either with a phone call, a text, on social media, or with a handwritten card, however, you like to connect.
On the show this week, we talked about Dan’s upcoming house-guest weekend. Well, that weekend has come and gone, and as we get back to work, Dan is feeling filled up by the time spent with family and friends. We hope that as you get your week underway, you can carve out some time to spend with someone close to you. For now, as they say at the Senning house, “work hard, but not too hard.”
See you on Thursday.
With warm regards,
Daniel and Lizzie
Happy Monday Joke
When is it impossible to plant spring flowers?
When you haven't botany.