Good morning Principal, teachers and fellow students.
I’d like to start my sharing by asking you a question. ‘If someone was rude to you, say, they said something unkind to you. What would you do?’ ‘Would you say something to hurt him/ her in return?’ Remember, never do that as if you’re taking a revenge. Some people will have bad manners, no matter what. That doesn't mean you have to respond to bad manners with more bad manners. When someone else is being rude, avoid lowering yourself to their level. Or else, you’ll become another person who has bad manners.
The foundation for good manners is respect. Even if you don't know anyone in a formal setting, you’ll still nod your head whenever you see someone or you’d greet somebody by saying ‘good morning’ or ‘good afternoon’. You know if you show respect to others, they're more likely to be nice back to you or they’ll have a good impression about you. What is sad is many of you here don’t greet your teachers, no matter if they have taught you or not.
Remember to do the right thing when you see your teachers or your friends next time.
Apart from greeting someone, what does a polite person usually say? You’ll hear him/ her usually say ‘thank you’, ‘sorry’ and ‘please’. These little words make people feel respected and are more willing to give you a helping hand. Sometimes, it can even resolve the minor misunderstanding. By saying these, you’ll find there are actually lots of support given from the people around you and your life becomes much easier. Living or studying in this kind of supportive and harmonious environment can help you focus better on your studies and get better results. So we should use these words more often.
Is verbal language the only way to show our respect to someone? Surely not! Our facial expressions and body language are also very important. Giving a genuine smile and nodding your head are body language that you can use to greet someone and are also effective ways to show your respect. When someone sees your smile, he/ she will consider you as welcoming them. Studies show that a genuine smile is generally considered attractive to others around us. Smile can also elevate our mood and the mood of those around you and most importantly, it has a strong link with good health. We shouldn’t ignore the magic of a smile.
Giving eye-contact is also a way to show your respect. When we’re talking to someone, we should look at the one we’re talking to. We don't need to look into their eyes for a long time, or look at someone from his head to toes which is unfriendly or awkward. By looking into their eyes from time to time can let someone know you are interested in talking to them and that you are engaged in the conversation. However, if we don’t look at the person we’re talking to, we’ll be considered as not wanting to talk to the person, not hearing and impolite. Eye contact is like a small thing but it’s in fact very important.
Be polite!
That’s all I want to share today. Thank you. |