Have Your Table Manners Gone Out the Window?
Over time as our lives have become busier and busier our table manners have gone by the wayside, according to one expert.
Zarife Hardy, the founder of the Australian School of Etiquette, has specialised in etiquette for over 25 years and has shared with FEMAIL the rules we should follow.
She explained that the likes of Meghan Markle and Princess Mary of Denmark have undergone intensive etiquette training themselves to change their accents, how they hold themselves and their wardrobe.
‘Even royalty has to follow these basic rules of etiquette and table manners,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
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Ms Hardy explained that although some people may not like to believe it, first impressions count.
‘Due to human biology we make up our minds about someone with seven seconds of meeting them, so it’s best to make a good impression,’ she said.
Posture plays an important part in how we present ourselves and how we are received – someone who is slouching instantly conveys the feeling to people that they don’t care about where they are or who they’re talking to.
Posture while sitting at the table is also important – women should sit with their knees and feet together or, like royalty, on a slant and men should sit slightly forward from the back of a chair to encourage correct posture.
‘Men should imagine that there is an egg just above their bottom, which will encourage the correct sitting position because if they move back it will crack,’ she explained.
‘You also don’t need to be wearing designer clothing but you need to pay attention to small details like your hygiene and the condition of your nails.’
When it comes to the art of conversation, which is something she believes we all need to master, you need to make sure you’re balancing your questions with answers so that natural conversation is able to flow.
‘Please don’t be a person that shuts down conversation, if someone asks you a question don’t just say yes or no,’ she said.
‘Humans are very sensitive to micro expressions so to show that you are really listening occasionally raise your eyebrows, slowly nod your head and maintain eye contact.’
The post Have Your Table Manners Gone Out the Window? appeared first on LewRockwell.
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