Cell Phone Etiquette - Politeness Always Takes The Cake

Cell phones, also called ‘mobiles’, are certainly one of the most convenient privileges we are enjoying in this day and age. Finally we are 24 hours per day connected to everybody and his brother who is able to satisfy our human need of information and interaction that could keep us happy and peaceful.

Unfortunately too many people allow this little wonder to change them into annoyingly, even infuriatingly, rude creatures.

I have learned early in my life how to treat my phone as a TOOL and not as an autocratic BOSS or medium that allows anybody to enter my privacy as if they are the manager of my life. The makers of calls are in fact self-centered, demanding attention without considering the circumstances of the person they want to speak with. Nevertheless, it is their right and privilege to make calls. The onus of responsibility rest on the receiver of calls. Through the way we handle our cell phone we demonstrate our character and dignity.

Let’s contemplate the following scenario’s of blatant rudeness:

You are in a scheduled meeting. The chairperson (or secretary or any member of the meeting) sees himself as too important to switch off his cell phone. He answers every call and by doing this he -

• Waste the time of everybody present;
• Distract the thoughts of everybody present;
• Assuring everybody present that they are not his first and/or only priority;
• Spoil the entire purpose of the meeting;
• Lose his own face.

Solution: During formal as well as informal meetings and, as a matter of fact, at all social gatherings, such as concerts, ceremonies, family reunions, wining and dining with friends, etcetera, cell phones should be ignored, unless we are on standby to save someone’s life or to handle one or the other crisis. Nobody is more important than the people in our presence. Cell phones have to be put on SILENT. Matters on the agenda of the meeting/gathering are to be our FIRST PRIORITY.

If we are a Very Important Person, we can always ask our secretary to handle our calls personally and to take messages, or we can rely on the magnificent voice mail facilities of our cell phone. If we do expect an emergency, we should warn the people with us in advance and excuse ourselves properly before we take the expected call. Realizing that receiving calls during meetings/gatherings is a disruption should keep us humble.

We are at a social gathering. The host/hostess keeps on sending messages via their cell phone to some or the other (obviously) important person in their life. And so they assures us that -

• Someone more important as any of us present has a desperate need to communicate with them;
• We are wasting our time; we could have stayed home and communicated with them via cell phone.
• We are unwelcome and should rather leave.

Solution: The same as for Scenario One.

You and your partner are spending quality time together. All of a sudden his/her cell phone rings. S/he gets up too fast, greets the soul on the other side apparently casual while walking out to continue the conversation elsewhere in camera.

You feel rejected and all of a sudden negative thoughts flash like lighting through your mind. Who is the ‘important’ caller? Why does your partner have the need to talk where you cannot hear him/her? When s/he finally returns, you are no longer comfortable; you are fighting suspicion, fear, anger, disappointment, sadness and endless negative emotions. You apply all your self-control in order not to lose your dignity. You have a desperate need to be alone in order to retain your normal composure.

Solution: Partners cannot always spend quality time together as if they are the only people on this planet. Depending on many factors, incoming calls may be important to answer. The receiver of the call should, however, take special care not to offend their partner. By merely being polite and especially via eye contact, partners can easily handle their obligations via cell phone in each other’s presence. If not possible, the relationship is obviously not meant to be.

Cell phones are not only most convenient mediums of communication but also reflectors of our character. Common people don’t give a damn about their character; they walk among us boasting with the motto, “Accept me the way I am or fly to the moon.”

Decent people, however, certainly care about their fellow-man and would not do anything that might hurt the feelings of the people in their presence. Decent people take Maya Angelou’s insight to heart:

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Copyright :: All Rights Reserved

Registered :: 2013-05-05 00:20:30
Title :: Cell Phone Etiquette - Politeness Always Takes The Cake

Category :: Article Hub

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Feel free to add more scenario’s in the comment section...