The Rules of the Gentleman

[Sir William]

Very nice.

One rule I read years ago was "A Gentleman never unintentionally insults anyone." I will admit it took me some additional time to fully understand what this meant.

[Spartan Tartan]

Spot on!

[Ian_G]

My gradpa always used to say
"It takes a Gentleman to say sorry"

Ian

[gary meakin]

Great list.
My father never told them to me, but he lived them and taught by example.
(except he didn't wear a hat)

[BoldHighlander]

Great list.
My father never told them to me, but he lived them and taught by example.
(except he didn't wear a hat)

Neither did mine wear a hat .... but both my grandfather and uncle did (as do I).

[longhuntr74]

Very nice.

One rule I read years ago was "A Gentleman never unintentionally insults anyone." I will admit it took me some additional time to fully understand what this meant.

LOL...I like this one!

It reminds me of Ben Franklin's counsel to John Adams in the HBO Miniseries (John Adams). In the scene, John is very new to politics and rather hot headed and had basically called one of his fellow members of the Congress "a snake on his belly slithering towards the seat of power." Ben Franklin pulls Adams aside in a tavern later that day and provides him some friendly advice about the art of diplomacy. I know I won't get these lines 100% accurate, because I'm going from memory...but it's pretty close.

Franklin: "You publicly insulted him!"

Adams: "Would you rather I had insulted him privately?"

Franklin: "Yes! Perfectly acceptable to insult a man in private! Sometimes, he might even thank you for it after the fact. But when you do it in public, it tends to make them think you are serious!"

This exchange has always given me a laugh!