My hope is to occasionally use this space to share some short excerpts from the advice books, taking clues from the news or personal experiences, or if I just happen to find some fun things to share.
To kick it all off, I’ve located some tips that I think the Senate Judiciary Committee may have benefited from as they droned on and on, lecturing – I mean asking – Samuel Alito questions this week.
“Avoid long arguments
Long arguments in general company, however entertaining to the disputants, are tiresome to the last degree to all others. You should always endeavor to prevent the conversation from dwelling to long upon one topic.
Interrupting a Person While Speaking
Never interrupt a person who is speaking. It has been aptly said that “if you interrupt a speaker in the middle of a sentence, you act almost as rudely as if, when walking with a companion, you were to thrust yourself before him, and stop his progress.”
Source: Ruth, John A. Decorum: A Practical Treatise on Etiquette and Dress of the Best American Society. New York: Union Publishing House, 1880.
To see more advice from Miss Abigail, wander on over to my newly revamped browse and search pages.
Miss Abigail should be a consultant to most government entities. Civility has been lost too many times. Shame on our leaders.