The Etiquette Blog
The Etiquette Blog is dedicated to the Quest for Civility in the modern world. Our goal with each article is to answer your etiquette questions on table manners, your social life, the work environment and more.
A new article is posted each week. You can search the over 250 current articles by typing a keyword in the search box to the right of your screen.
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Explore and enjoy!
Who or What Comes First?
Etiquette is an information system that depends on knowing who and what comes first. With this information, the back and forth of human interaction is put into play.
Using Tolerance to Maintain Civility
Tolerance involves the recognition that just as you want to be treated decently, others also want the same treatment.
Women Doctors and What to Call Them
Women doctors have earned their title. Yet, there remains a double standard when it comes to addressing them with the appropriate honorific.
How to Avoid Dining Faux Pas
The best way to avoid dining faux pas is to remain mindful of others at your table. However, as with any occasion involving humans, orderliness is dependent on the behavior of each individual.
Managing Office Gossip
There are many factors that can affect work productivity and employee morale. One of the biggest culprits is office gossip.
When Curiosity Doesn't Include Sympathy
Etiquette asks us to show interest in others - to show curiosity. But curiosity with some sense of sympathy can negatively affect your interactions with others.
What's Wrong with "Just Kidding?"
The phrase “Just kidding” is many times preceded by an insult of some type. Even when it isn’t, you may leave people wondering if it was.
Don’t Take it Personally
When you take things personally, you head in the direction of a negative reaction. Rather than let someone affect you this way, try these strategies to offset your self-talk from the start.
Etiquette-ful Reciprocity
You feel gratitude when someone extends an intentional good act toward you, leading you to extend a good act back to that person. This is reciprocity in action.
A Modern Definition of Etiquette
A definition of etiquette includes the ways we show up in our behaviors. At its core are the principles of good manners: respect, courtesy, tact, restraint, self-command, and responsibility.
Giving Appropriate Compliments on Jewelry
A compliment on jewelry is meaningful. When a person chooses to accessorize with jewelry, they have privately, and perhaps subconsciously, made a decision about what complements their style.
Continue reading "Giving Appropriate Compliments on Jewelry"
Adulting into Adulthood
“Adulting” means conducting yourself as an adult when you're on the verge of becoming an adult. But there is a difference between an adult-in-progress and someone who "adults" once in a while.
14 Tips for Hosting a Restaurant Dinner
Entertaining at a restaurant calls for attention to detail, so the “pre-work” is important. No matter the occasion, these fourteen considerations will make your restaurant dinner party a success!
To Be a Lady in the 21st Century
Is the term “lady” and the traditions that go along with it becoming obsolete? I hope not, as some of the strongest, most respectable people I know are ladies.
Should You Give Back an Unwanted Gift?
Receiving a gift is always a special occasion. Except when it's an unwanted gift. What does a polite person do when faced with this conundrum?
Proper Dress for Court
Your appearance in a courtroom or house of government calls for proper dress. What you wear signals the importance of the occasion and expresses your attitude and confidence.
How to Ask for a Raise
Before you ask for a raise, you must be prepared to prove you should have one. It’s a stage set for nervousness. Regardless, you aim to be respectful, courteous, and maintain your dignity.
Parking Lot Etiquette
We all have experiences testifying to the anxiety Saturday shopping can cause. But even this occasion can be made less stressful when everyone observes parking lot etiquette.
Accepting “No” as an Answer
Whenever you think you deserve a “yes” and are told “no” you probably shift into the attitude of, “Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer!” Why is accepting “no” such a difficult thing to do?
Candace Smith Etiquette appears in:
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Orange County Business Journal
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Candace Smith Etiquette
Orange, CA
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