Gentlemanly Virtue

When I turned twenty-three, my great aunt gave me a book by John Bridges entitled How to be a Gentleman: A Contemporary Guide to Common Courtesy. It fascinates me how some people will consider something to be polite or impolite, when really it's a matter of personal preference, rather than common courtesy. I found a few examples of that when reading through parts of the book last night.

On page twenty-four, the author claims that a gentleman tucks his undershirt into his undershorts. Not only is this not the mark of a gentleman, it is the mark of the type of person who drinks his own bath water.

On page one hundred twenty-nine, the author claims that a gentleman reads a daily newspaper, preferably the New York Times, at least three times a week. Regular readers of TSTF will remember that the New York Times is one of the most liberally biased rags in America, suitable only for filthy hippies and Anachronism. I'll definitely agree that a gentleman, for various reasons, is aware of current events. However, the author's choice of newspaper is unnecessary.

The bottom line is that a man should make an effort to be a gentleman, and the core element of this endeavour is making sure that those around him are as comfortable as possible at all times. Where did I learn this? You guessed it, folks: Blast From the Past, starring Brendan Fraser, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Walken, and Dave Foley.