On Saying Please

-          A. G. Gardiner

Summary:

 

The essay ‘On Saying Please’ was written by A.G. Gardiner. He was a famous English essayist of the Twentieth Century. He wrote essays on a Pen Name ‘Alpha of the plough’. He drew the ideas for the essays from the real time life situations. His essays were delightful, humorous, and thought provoking. His essays appeared in volumes such as Prophets & pillars of society, etc. with funny sketches of famous personages. The Present essay ‘On saying please’ was one among his best works.

According to the essay, a lift man threw a man out of the lift. The Lift man did not like the high handed behavior of the man. He asked the man to speak with him properly, but the man did not and so the lift man became angry on him and threw him out of the lift. The man felt humiliated with the behavior of the lift man and complained the officials of the building to take action on the lift man. Due to that reason, The lift man was punished. The writer mentioned that the sympathies of the people would be with the lift man because he was dragged into an altercation and punished. However, the writer stated that a person would not be punished in the society because of the exhibition of ill mannerism because law did not give an provision for that. The law in the society would not compel any person from mentioning basic civil manners like stating ‘please’, ‘sorry’, etc., As a matter of fact, a person might lose his reputation in the society but would not be penalized for behaving in an uncivil manner.

But, the uncivil behavior of one person might make the others become angry and sometimes might make them abuse or physically attack others. For example, the lift man might behave in a rude manner with his wife after taking punishment from the officials in the building. Due to that reason, the writer stated about the importance of Good mannerism. Exhibition of Civility in the society would make people in the neighbourhood to change into a positive way. To explain the above factor the writer stated the example of a Good Conductor who he had come across. The Writer was impressed by the Conductor’s generosity, jovialness, kind behavior. He found him to be sensible. He behaved in a polite manner with everybody who entered his bus and due to that reason; The Writer mentioned that the civilians loved to travel happily in that Bus where the Good Conductor was there.

The Writer also stated that the great poets like Wordsworth, Keats, etc., did not hesitate to learn civility, wisdom, etc., from the common men. They felt happy, if the day went on without any problems. So, the Writer wrote Panegyric on the unknown Conductor he came across. At the end of the essay the writer gave the example of a statesman called Chesterfield. He would never hesitate to co operate with the common people in giving way on the busy road though he would come across any unforeseen problems. The writer urged people to understand the importance of civility and behave well in the society to make their surroundings become a better place to live in. In order to do that, People should develop the habit of behaving in a polite manner despite any kind of problems they come across.