The larger a population grows, it seems the worse manners become. That is too bad, because in a large, busy society, good manners become even more important. Common courtesies such as holding a door open for someone, saying "please" and "thank you," and allowing an elderly or disabled person to go to the head of the line all make the world a nicer place to live in. Good manners do not cost anything, and it takes little extra time to practice them.
Benefits
Good manners help put others at ease and therefore make social interactions more pleasant. Simple courtesies like saying "please" and "thank you" show that you acknowledge another person as more than an object. Good manners aid friendships and are essential for success in business.
Function
Etiquette rules provide a template for appropriate behavior in social and business situations. Often, good manners are tied to preventing contagious disease--covering one's mouth when coughing or turning away when sneezing, for example.
Although etiquette rules vary from country to country, good manners in many countries also involve keeping unpleasant bodily functions in check. Most consider public belching or flatulence bad manners. Although no one dies from being around someone who is belching or passing gas, these things create a disgusting atmosphere. Good manners keep social situations as pleasant as possible.
Geography
Behaviors that count as good manners vary from country to country. What counts as good table manners in Europe, for example, does not count as good table manners in the United States. In Europe, it is good manners to cut food with the knife in the right hand and eat with the fork in the left hand; In the United States, good manners dictate that after cutting food, one switches the fork back to the right hand.
Eye contact, greetings and many other social behaviors also vary greatly within different regions in a country. In Texas, for example, well-mannered schoolchildren