Section A Discussion

▇Sit in groups of threes or fours and discuss the following questions.

1. What do good manners mean to you? Does having good manners mean being polite or courteous?  Or does it mean more than that?

2. Recount some personal experiences where you have witnessed good manners.

3. What do you know about civility? How is it reflected in daily life?

4. What do you think is the role or importance of civility in today’s society?  

5. If we can get one to learn about civility, what is the most conducive environment to do so?  

Section B Quotes

▇Study the following quotes about civility and good manners. Do you agree with each of them? Give reasons to support your view.

 Albert Einstein

 ⊙I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.

                                                 — Albert Einstein

Interpretation:

By this quote, Albert Einstein means that everyone, regardless of their status and wealth, has a role in society.  As a contributing individual, everyone should receive the same level of respect.

About Albert Einstein (1879-1955): Albert Einstein, a German, is a well respected scientist who discovered and developed the theory of relativity.  He received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921.  Einstein was a high school drop-out but was later accepted into a special high school in Switzerland.  He also did not do well in the university because of his special learning style.  He preferred to study on his own and frequently skipped classes.  Einstein was not successful in his early days as a scientist but he persisted until the early 1900s when his theory of relativity was accepted by the physics community.  

  Confucius

⊙ What you do not want others to do to you, do not do them unto others.  

— Confucius

Interpretation:

This quote from Confucius tells us to treat and respect others in the same way as we would want others to do to us. The original saying in Chinese is“己所不欲勿施于人。”《论语》

Emily Post

Interpretation:

⊙Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.

                                            — Emily Post

Emily Post’s quote reminds us that regardless of our status and wealth in society, manners are important.  Having position and being rich do not give us the excuse to be discourteous. As responsible individuals of our community and society, we should respect one another and be sincere by behaving in socially acceptable ways.   

About Emily Post  (1872-1960): Emily Post was born in the United States.  While she wrote novels, travel books and was a popular columnist in newspapers and magazines at her time, it was her writing on etiquette that made her a frequently quoted author and an authority in the subject.  In 1946, she founded the Emily Post Institute which is still in existence today, advising clients on all things related to manners and etiquette both in the corporate world and in social settings.

Section C Watching and Discussion

Watch the following video clip “UT’s Civility Message” and do the tasks that follow:

插入视频片段： “UT’s Civility Message.wmv” 

1.Civility is mutual respect, treating others as you                    , learning from one and other, and listening. Civility is knowing that all men and women                    , and acting like it. Civility is diverse, open,                    . Civility is expression, debate, community, integrity. Civility is doing                    . I deserve your respect, your recognition, your acceptance. We are one: one campus, one community.                    . 

2 

Give some examples to illustrate their points.

Examples of civility may include: