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I am delighted to see a concensus among the ladies that good manners and gentlemanly conduct are appreciated. I believe that these should be expected. In my undergrad years when we were considering bidding someone it was expected that he was not only a good guy who fit well but that he was a gentleman who knew how to handle a very broad range of situations. We expected that he was "an athlete, a scholar, and a jolly good fellow" which had been the benchmark since our founding. It never occured to us that he would act like a gentleman as we expected that he WAS a gentleman.
Now, a couple of side thoughts:
I remember reading about a conversation between Cardinal Newman and Oscar Wilde. The good Cardinal opined that "A gentleman never knowingly gives offense. Wilde replied, "Actually Your Emminence, I rather think that a gentleman never UNknowingly gives offense".
Also, as to insults, my grandfather told me that depending upon the nature of the insult a gentleman may simply not take notice of it, thereby consigning the offensive party to irrelevent insignificance, unless the insult is directed to or has given offence to a lady. In such case one arranges to meet the offender tomorrow morning, pistols for two, coffee for one.
dekeguy
Captain, USAR
Forward Deployed
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