I have a little story for you.
Twenty years ago, on a warm summer evening two high school seniors graduated from the same high school.
These two guys were very much alike. Both had graduated at the top of their class. Both had lots of friends. Both were overflowing with excitement about what their futures held.
Fast forward to today. Now the two are very different. One of them is happily married to a beautiful woman, he is the president of his company, and he is socially still loved by his peers.
The other?
He is in a dead end job. Although, he graduated at the top of his class, No position ever seemed to offer a chance to "climb the ladder".
He is single. Not that he wants to be, he just hasn't seemed to “click” with anyone yet.
What Caused The Difference?
Haven't you wondered what makes the difference in people's lives? I know I have.
It isn't always ambition; talent or dedication... is it? It isn't that one person wants the "good life" more than the other, right?
The difference sometimes is as simple as how we present ourselves.
And that is why I am writing this article today. Your manners could be ruining your life. It doesn’t seem fair, but it is true. Those little habits that you don’t even think about could be the very roadblock that is keeping you from living the life you always thought you would have.
So let’s look at one of the most common, most annoying problems in our current culture… Cell Phone Etiquette.
If you want others to respect you, enjoy being around you and to stop laughing at you behind your back (yeah they are), then here are the Rules of the Road when it comes to cell phones.
The 5 Things People Hate The Most About Cell Phones
1. Don’t take unimportant calls when you are in a face-to-face meeting with someone else. It only makes the person you are with feel less important and they will wonder why they even bothered to meet with you.
2. Don’t use loud, obnoxious ringtones. I use to sit next to a guy whose phone would repeat, “Are you there? Are you there? Are you there? Are you…” I still get tense just thinking about it. It’s cool to personalize your phone, but don’t get carried away. Sometimes it’s better to keep the mystery alive, if you know what I mean.
3. Turn you dang phone off when you’re in movies, weddings, funerals, church… you know, all the places that it would be ridiculous to have a personal conversation face to face.
4. If you have to be on your phone, don’t talk louder than your normal speaking voice. Cell phones have come a long way; the microphones in them can pick up the slightest sound. So, screaming into your phone isn’t going to help the reception. It is only going to make those around you think you are an idiot.
5. If you can’t take the call in a private environment then the rules are: Don’t talk about personal issues, don’t talk about confidential information and DO keep it as short as possible.
I know, most of these “rules” are just common sense and definitely fall under the “Golden Rule” rule, but I am amazed, annoyed and often angered by the lack of social etiquette that most people display with their cell phones.
Using a cell phone is so easy that we can be lazy and become oblivious to the incontinence we are causing others. So let’s try and be more aware, more courteous and hopefully others will follow our lead making the world a better place.
And the worst case would be that we end up the president of our company, with lots of friends and a great looking spouse. At least that will show all those rude cell phone users.
Oscar James is "The Advice Guide". He gives his opinions and advice on lots of life's sticky situations. His most recent project was to look into Prepaid Cellular Phones to determine if Tracfone Wireless was really the deal they claim to be. |
