Manners Please

Today I come to you with a question I seem to be asking myself a lot lately. The question is,"Have we lost the idea of common courtesy?" It seems lately I have been finding that people, at a rapid pace, are becoming more cynical and down right rude. It seems within the last few years everyone is trying to take advantage each other to further themselves or their family. Why is this?

Some would say that that one of the reasons for this behavior would be that we have become a super competitive society. A place where you have to fight for everything, and if you don't play dirty you will be walked on and sent to the back of the line. Is that what we have become, a society of, "step on you to benefit me?" Don't get wrong I do believe you have to work hard for what you have in life. You should always take advantage of opportunities you have. But at what expense?

I guess what it boils down to is what were you taught? Were you taught manners and common courtesy or where you taught to take what is yours, even if its not. I feel like a lot of things that people wouldn't dare to do to each other just five years ago, they do now without blinking an eye. Is this being taught to kids by their parents or does the world harden them to be this way?

I am not asking for change, there is enough of that going around nowdays. I know I have asked a lot questions and do I think I will find any answers, probably not. I am just hoping that all is not lost. That maybe when I get old that someone will understand that you have to respect your elders. My fear is that one day an old person, as an example, will be looked at as a liability and not a resource.