Park So Yeon/Chapter 5 initial draft/ Summer Session 56

Essentially, It's all the same

             Recently, in a Korean TV show called "Abnormal Summit", the panels from around the world discussed etiquettes travelers need to know. Unlike Korea, in China, touching a child's head is unacceptable because people think it brings bad luck and in Japan, speaking inside the subway is rude behavior. Like these, there are different manners people follow according to different cultures. However, I believe universal good manners exist because fundamentally, the good manners share the same attribute.

             Before elaborating why universal good manners exist, the first step is to find out what they are. When I say "universal good manners", I don't mean something grand. Rather, I am talking about manners that are easily noticeable in our daily lives. For instance, universally, when you hold a door for someone coming behind you, you are considered to have good manners. When you go to a restaurant and you say thank you when the waiter brings you food, you are a person with good manners. On the other hand, if you talk loudly in public places such as subways or in the theatre, you are considered to have bad manners. If you make chewing noises when you're eating or if you talk with your mouth full, the person you were meeting probably won't want to meet you again because of your bad manners. These are some manners that are commonly considered good or bad around the world.

             Then why do universal good manners exist? I believe it exists because regardless of culture, the common attribute behind the examples I have stated above is consideration of others. People hold the door for the next person because they think in that person's shoes. People don't talk loudly in public places because they know it is rude and it disturbs others. Good manners all come out from a good heart that considers other people. Then why do people consider other people? I believe this is because we want to get along with others. Humans are social beings and in order to belong to a society or group, it is crucial to get along with other members within that society. If people act in a way they don't respect or consider others, it is only natural they get ostracized by the members in the society. Since humans all share the same idea that they want to belong somewhere, they choose to have good manners and this is why I think there are certain good manners that are common around the world.

             In conclusion, although there are some differences according to culture, universal good manners still exist around the world. The core of the universal good manners is the desire to fit into a society.