Manners, people, manners!

When was the last time you didn't bother to call back to someone who called you earlier? Did you just "forget" to answer to that sms you received an hour, a day or a week ago? Or stood someone up without a warning? Was that you who simple stared back without greeting to that poor person brave enough greeting you at the street? Or perhaps you just arrived late and let other people wait for you once again?

A list like this could go on and on. I'm so sick and tired of people who seems to be lacking all the basics of good manners. And with good manners I mean responding to other people's greetings and other means of social communication whether it's done f-2-f, by phone or email. It's a polite way to communicate and it shows you respect other people; they matter to you.

Of course there's different codes of behaviour depending on the situation you're on, and also my own behaviour is altered by the circumstances e.g. how well I know the person I'm dealing with. For example, I don't expect a certain friend of mine to call me back since he assumes others to call again if they have something important to share with. I also know better than expecting another friend of mine to arrive anywhere on time - she's pathological.

But these are exceptions and restricted only to people I know. In my book, it's more unpolite to e.g. arrive late if you don't know the person too well or at all. It might have something to do with me being a control freak (just ask my flatmates and I think they will agree with this to a certain extend) but mostly it's because I think people should respect others.

I really don't see how it's so difficult to answer that sms or call or simply greet back to that stranger at the street. What's the harm done there? It would only take a few minutes of your time. Sometimes it takes even more time and energy to try and avoid things - e.g. some of the people I went high school with rather cross the street in order to avoid the situation where they have to communicate others. Strange, right?

I dunno whether this problem is more to do with Finland and the Finns or is it the zeitgeist of the times we're living. Are people so wrapped up in themselves they couldn't care less about anyone else? Is social communication really that difficult? I would like to believe it's not a Finnish thing to do, not to mention the way people in Helsinki communicate. Since if it is I might have to start considering moving abroad or worse, stop communicating altogether...