Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-06
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Lack Of consideration for others is at
the bottom Of most instances Of bad
manners.
The desire to boil the matter down
to one fundamental reason comes to
most who consider this question.
It is impossible to believe that i'm
posters of good breeding. met every day
in all walks of life, simply spring into
being.
There must be some reason behind
their actions-thoSe actions which do,
indeed, speak louder than words.
Many a man with a fine suit on his
back and the most immaculate linen
nevertheless INDUCES in everyday deeds
which would put baboon to shame.
A good jungle variety of chimpanzee
would blush at some of the little ac-
lions pulled, as the vernacular has 1t,
by men who ought to know better, and
do know better.
II they know better, one might ask
indifference, amounting to cruelty in
many instances?
We do not think so.
Cruelty Is harsh word, which had
better be left to designate physical deeds
of violence. There is such thing as
mental or intellectual cruelty, Of course
but 1t scarcely functions in the small
isolated cases under consideration.
X X X X
Let it be made plain that small acts
are under consideration here. We leave
the grand misdeeds to the psychologists,
who claim that their systems" have
been worked out scientifically. One may
believe that their conclusions are most
ly empiric; when their science" Is con-
trasted with the true science Of cleo
tricity, based on effects coming from
causes, 1t seems much in the class of
phrenology.
If the true scientific work of sur
geons and dentists is compared with the
pseudo-science of psychology and
psychiatrics, the average observer will
feel inclined to believe that whereas the
first is science, the latter Is merely a
clever handling of new words and queer
phrases, which may evaporate after
their newness wears of and their clev-
erness grows stale.
The small deeds or misdeeds which
constitute everyday bad manners are
outside the fringe of the psychologists
They are caught only by sensitive per-
sons who through training or natural
capacities have real regard for the
feelings Of the other fellow.
Such persons are representative.
Perhaps the psychologists would regard
them as cases" and be able to probe
deeply into their souls, and to connect
one word with another into a clever
hypothesis. But the bit of bad man
ners which excited the other to his
private investigation would have no
standing with them.
A veneer of good manners never
serves to hide the natural defects Of
those who lack consideration for others.
They possess a natural shrewdness
which tells them that the laws Of
polite usage will prevent others from
demonstrating with them. except under
very unusual circumstances.
Few people who are the victims OF
such bad manners fail to desire to
speak vehemently to the perpetrators,
but perhaps not one in a million ever
does so. because he Is swayed by the
mass ideas of conduct which have come
I'D with him from his mothers knee.
Bad-mannered people get away with
1t" because their victims are good man
nered, well bred, In other words.
Actions speak louder than words.
Take three men eating lunch together.
Two of them are at loggerheads, in
dulging in that civilized form OF I'M