18 Polite Gestures From the 60s That Don’t Exist Today

The 1960s were a time when the Beatles ruled the airwaves, everyone dressed like they were about to attend a fancy garden party and manners… well, they weren’t just an option but a way of life. It was a decade when certain polite gestures were as essential as breathing, yet fast-forward to today, and it’s like they’ve vanished into thin air. Let’s look at 18 polite gestures from this time that have sadly left our daily routines.

1. Hat Tipping

Hat tipping used to be a universal signal of acknowledgment and respect. But now, it’s disappeared with the decline of hat-wearing itself. As fashion evolved, the practice became less relevant, and with it, a piece of the elegance of yesteryears disappeared. Today, people prefer more casual attire and informal greetings.

2. Offering Your Seat

Offering your seat to someone in need was once completely automatic, but today, the survival of the fittest reigns supreme. Blame it on the digital bubble we live in, where the outside world is often just a blur until our battery runs low. The idea of ‘seeing’ someone else’s needs requires looking up from our screens, a habit we’ve unlearned somewhere along the digital highway.

3. Handwritten Thank You Notes

The handwritten thank you note has been edged out by the convenience of digital communication. Why? Because who has the time between tweets, snaps, and insta-updates to sit down with pen and paper? It seems our thumbs are too busy scrolling to use a pen, and sincerity now comes from likes and retweets rather than thoughtful prose.

4. Walking Someone to Their Door

Walking someone to their doorstep was the ultimate gesture that showed you truly cared about their safety. Now, it’s all about “drop a pin” and “let me know when you’re home.” The digital leash gives us a false sense of security. And, let’s be honest, shoes off and streaming our favorite show by the time the other person reaches their door is the new norm!

5. Holding Doors Open

A lot of people treat holding a door open with suspicion. Is it a trap? A flirtatious gesture? Or just someone being nice? The rise of automated doors and a general rush to get through our day means we’re less about the pause and serve and more about the hustle. It’s not personal – it’s just the pace of today’s world.

6. Dressing Up for Air Travel

Gone are the days when flying felt like attending a gala in the sky. Now, it’s all about stretching out in aisle six in your yoga pants. The transformation from classy to comfy reflects our changing lifestyle, where being Instagram-ready can happily coexist with wearing pajamas in public. Air travel is no longer an occasion but another commute, just with less legroom.

7. Waiting for Everyone to be Served Before Eating

The ritual of waiting for everyone to be served before digging in has been replaced by the snap, post, and eat routine. Today, we’re worried that our meal might get cold while we’re busy creating our online persona! Forget communal eating – sharing a meal has taken on a digital meaning instead.

8. Making Introductions

The art of making introductions, complete with background information, has pretty much disappeared. It’s not because we’re not interested in others but because Google does it for us. Why go through the formalities when a quick search can tell you everything from someone’s job to their cat’s name?

9. Addressing People by Titles

The shift from “Mr. Smith” to “Hey, John” has been caused by the rise of social media and workplace changes. Hierarchies have flattened, and with them, the formalities that maintained distance. Now, it’s first names all around, even if it sometimes skips the respect that using someone’s title demanded

10. Listening More Than Speaking

The art of active listening is now all but extinct. People are keen to talk so much faster now that conversational pauses have become awkward silences. We’re conditioned to fill the void, to keep the conversation ball rolling at the speed of a text message. It’s less about not valuing what the other person has to say and more about the fear of a conversation flatlining.

11. Giving Up the Armrest

Armrest etiquette in shared spaces is now a battlefield as people ignore the middle seat for an inch of personal space. As we’ve become more protective of our personal bubble, the unspoken rules of armrest diplomacy have faded into the background noise. And let’s not get started on the legroom!

12. Personal Space Respect

The lack of personal space boundaries isn’t a sign of growing disrespect but rather the result of living in an increasingly crowded world. Public spaces are more congested, and our tolerance for proximity has also changed. We’ve become far more desensitized to the elbow nudges and backpack bumps that accompany modern life.

13. Avoiding Public Arguments

Public arguments are a spectacle for people to watch everywhere, thanks to reality TV and social media platforms. The shift isn’t so much about a loss of manners as it is about the thrill of drama in the digital age. Public spaces have become stages, and manners have taken a backseat to the appeal of going viral.

14. Leaving Parties

Way back when it was polite to stay at a party until the guest of honor had left. Dashing off early? Unthinkable! It was a sign of respect, and the guest of honor’s departure signaled it was time for everyone else to politely exit. This little dance of etiquette ensured no one upstaged the main attraction​​.

15. Eating At the Table

Gathering for meals at the table used to be a staple of family life, an undeniable opportunity for bonding over shared stories and dishes. Nowadays, with on-the-go meals and screens in every hand, communal dinner times have become solo snacking sessions. Netflix and a personal pizza often win the evening!

16. Using Your Silverware Properly

Speaking of food, once upon a time, a meal was a ceremony that was complete with the proper use of silverware for every course. It was a mark of civility and a nod to culinary tradition. Fast forward to today, and we’re living in the age of food trucks and finger foods, where convenience is more important than formality. Grabbing a bite often literally means just that.

17. Sidewalk Rules

In the past, a true gentleman would walk on the street side to protect others from puddles and passing carriages. But these days, going down the sidewalk is more about dodging scooters and staring down smartphones. The idea of keeping to one side to keep the flow going? That’s ancient history. It’s every pedestrian for themselves!

18. Using Discretion in Public

There was a time when public etiquette ruled supreme, like keeping your voice down and making personal dramas…well, personal. Enter the smartphone era, where every moment is Instagrammable, and privacy is publically curated. Sharing has taken on a totally new dimension.

Bring Them Back!

Sure, some of these gestures might seem outdated or unnecessary in today’s world. However, they represent a time when thoughtfulness and consideration for others were a part of our daily lives. Even in our modern world, surely there’s still room for us to bring back some of these charming practices. After all, a little politeness goes a long way!

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Tamila McDonald

Tamila McDonald is a U.S. Army veteran with 20 years of service, including five years as a military financial advisor. After retiring from the Army, she spent eight years as an AFCPE-certified personal financial advisor for wounded warriors and their families. Now she writes about personal finance and benefits programs for numerous financial websites.