19 Common Social Etiquette Rules That People Say Just Don’t Make Sense Anymore
Recently, Reddit user u/AirDesk asked, "What’s a common social etiquette rule you just don’t agree with?" Here are some of the most top-voted answers:
1."Not taking the last piece of food on a sharing platter. The number of times I’ve seen a perfectly good piece of garlic bread go cold and get thrown away…"
2."'Respect your elders.' Sorry, a lot of my elders are unrespectable."
3."I have NEVER understood why people are afraid to tell someone else they have food in their teeth or something on their face. I’m going to be more embarrassed if I get home and see the lipstick on my teeth. And I’m going to be annoyed with you for not mentioning it!"
4."Turning down something when you actually want it because it’s 'polite.' This happened to me a lot when I was a kid but every once in a while as an adult, this weird social thing will happen."
5.And then the inverse of above: "When you offer someone something, and they say no, even though they want it, and you need to keep offering it to them until it's socially acceptable for them to take it."
6."I despise that it's more socially acceptable to BE an asshole than it is to call someone out for being an asshole. It's like when someone's being publicly rude, people would rather ignore it and look the other way than say, 'Hey buddy you're being a dick to everyone around you, knock it the hell off.'"
7."I hate the idea that you can't talk about your salary with co-workers. There is zero reason behind this besides the business not wanting people to know what others are making to keep paying lower for some."
8."Gift etiquette. People getting pissy if you don’t open their gift right in front of them at the party; people bringing gifts even if the invite specifically says 'NO GIFTS;' and obligatory gift giving in general."
9."Waiting for people to take photos before walking through. It was polite in the '80s when people took one photo per day, but these days you'd never get anywhere in a tourist city if you waited. It's not reasonable to hold up a pavement while you take 17 photos for your Instagram. I'm going through."
10."Asking 'how are you?' and expecting a standard lie in response."
11."Elbows off the dinner table."
12."The saying, 'Don't speak ill of the dead.'"
13."Sending thank you notes to people who attended your loved one’s funeral. You already have enough on your plate, plus you’re grieving. It doesn’t make any sense to me."
14."Putting cutlery at the beginning of buffet tables. I do not know which utensils I need until I am done selecting all of my food and they are awkward to carry while filling my plate with said food. It belongs at the end and I die on this hill."
15."Men are expected to ask women out, and if a woman does it, it makes her look 'desperate.' Do away with this social etiquette and let whoever has feelings for whomever make the first move, regardless of gender."
16."Having kids hug and/or embrace every single person at a social family gathering, even though they don't know them."
17."Not wearing your coat inside because wearing it implies you're going to just up and leave at any second. I have a terrible time regulating my own body heat, but people would rather I freeze, I guess."
Two roommates shivering in a cold winter day at home
18."Hear me out: people expecting an immediate text or call back as if they are entitled to your time. Obviously, I do not mean emergencies, but you get my gist."
19."'Take off your hat, it's disrespectful!' Disrespectful to who, and how?"
What other etiquette rules do you disagree with? Let us know in the comments!
Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
