Perfect Poise, Perfect Life
Bring your body into balance and revolutionise your life
By Noel Kingsley
Publisher Hodder Mobius
AVAILABLE HERE
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Gentleman, a dying breed?
Sometimes one may refer to another as a 'gentleman' or 'lady'. i,e, "A gentleman came to my practice the other day..." or when we are at a conference or theatre an announcement may be made... "Ladies and gentlemen, we have pleasure in welcoming this evening..." or we may say of another, "Bill is a real gent!" Of course 'Lady' may be used in the UK when someone is honoured by the Queen for services to the country or humanity etc, but what I have in mind will apply equally...if not more 'equally' to them too.
In today's modern hurlyburly society when we rarely write letters but send cryptic texts or emails, when business is so ruthless and the bottom line is cash, when someone who we have had respect for lets us down by reneging on their promise, the question of honouring agreements and 'gentleman' come to mind. On being let down, my philosophical self thanks such a person for 'letting me down' because I know something else more appropriate or even better will come my way!
But on pondering how I may refer to someone as a gentleman or lady without much thought I check the Collins dictionary and find:
Gentleman 1. A man regarded as having qualities of refinement associated with a good family. 2. A man who is cultured, courteous and well-educated 3. A polite name for a man. 4. In British History, a man of gentle birth, who was entitled to bear arms, ranking above a yeoman in social position.
Loosely used it's a polite name for a man with its origins no doubt on the qualities that one might expect.
So the qualities of a gentleman are; cultured, courteous and well-educated. I can add a few more qualities that come to mind in respect of how I perceive a gentleman.... I think of him as having integrity, honour and stature. He is honest, chivalrous, courteous, sensitive to others, polite and with etiquette.
Now full of doubts as to whether I could ever match up to such levels of finesse I think of a few people I know who do. Are these qualities old-fashioned or is it still worthy to endeavour to behave in such a manner? I think it is. Naturally we are in 2008 and informality is the way now, but this does not preclude behaving with respect and courtesy to others. And despite my failings I shall continue to do my best with the traditional sense of the word, not so that I may ever be referred to as a 'gentleman' but only because when one is on the receiving end of speaking or dealing with another, these are qualities that probably will be appreciated. I may be old-fashioned, but I think it's good to be honourable and not let people down, to be polite, and to treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves.
