Courtesy costs nothing but buys everything

The Oxford dictionary describes the word courtesy as the showing of politeness in one's attitude and behaviour towards others. That is definitely a fine and true statement that mostly embodies the meaning and characteristics of courtesy, but my own personal definition of courtesy would be that it is a fundamental and foundational value or concept in human society which embodies much of the concepts which allow us to differentiate ourselves from the rest of biological life here on this earth. Some may say that I am going too far with my definition of courtesy to which I completely disagree. My disagreement stems from the great importance of kindness and politeness that one should show in his or her daily life. Let me ask you if not for the kindness and politeness that humans are able to show each other, what truly differentiates us from the wild beasts that roam the earth without even batting an eye when they see their own kin being murdered and massacred. Below are a few reasons as to why I believe courtesy is such an important value. Courtesy happens to be a unique value because of its ability to both be inherent or taught. It is well known that courtesy is more prevalent in certain societies and cultures than in others for example. For example, courtesy has been a foundational value that has been taught to nobles and aristocrats in Europe as well as the other continents throughout the centuries. Whereas, the poorer parts of society which consisted mostly of peasants and farmers were not able to learn about the values of courtesy because of their low level of education. This however did not stop the poor from being imbued with the value of courtesy, this is a perfect example of the fact that although courtesy may be an inherent value in some cultures, it can also be taught to those who do not know of it. Courtesy also happens to be a value that is truly priceless. It is a value that can be extended to everyone that is included in your social circle. For example, you could be courteous to your co-workers or superiors at your workplace by greeting them or inviting them to have a drink or a meal together. Little things like these are what help you to improve your relationship with the people at your workplace and improve your superior’s image of you. Actions like these are not limited to just your workplace but can be applied in your home or social life as well. Another example would be greeting and entertaining guests when they arrive at your home. Courtesy can be applied in one’s social life by improving the way, he or she speaks and refraining from using words or phrases that may be considered impolite or discriminatory. Other examples would be paying for meals when going on an outing with friends or giving compliments to others when u meet or converse with them. All of the examples I have listed above are things that require very little or no effort at all but will provide you with great returns and a positive reaction from the people involved in your life. The value of courtesy happens to be one that adds value to a certain interaction or life. It also happens to be a value that is innately ironic in its nature, this being caused by the fact that although courtesy costs nothing it brings many priceless returns to those who apply it in their lives. Courtesy has been known to reward people who are kind greatly later on. For example, many individuals who have helped others with financial or social problems in the past have been helped by those same people later on in their life when they were facing similar situations and were put in a tough spot. It is also known that individuals who are known to have been courteous are very well respected in human culture and society. Courtesy helps increase the social value of an individual which also causes them to become an indispensable figure in a certain community or organization. Courtesy is also a value that greatly improves the conscience of those who apply it in their daily life and helps them free themselves from the chains of regret that tend to follow most of us, humans, around. Lastly, courtesy can help people improve their connection with their religious life as most religions across the world teach their believers to be courteous to their fellow humans. As we are nearing the end of this essay, I would firmly like to reiterate the importance and worth of courtesy in human society. It is an integral value that I truly believe will be the foundation of our society for many generations to come. Human civilization will flourish only so long as values such as courtesy are practised and applied in our daily lives.