I thought of this quote today when only one student said thank you when I handed out papers to all of them in class. So I looked it up and the origin is not a movie. According to my little research, it is a phrase that had already been in use and was first published in a book of sayings in 1519 by William Horman called “Vulgaria.” I could be wrong on some of the details, but what is important is this phrase has been around a long time. Basically, the meaning of the quote is that one is not defined by race, gender, status, money, social position, identity, politics, religion, or probably anything else. Instead, a person is defined by their manners or behavior. How one behaves and uses manners in any situation shows the quality of one’s character. In my opinion, this in turn could be used to define a culture or society. As I continue to see the terrible manners reflected in the news and social media I find a sad state of decline our society has become as we continue to be lax in basic manners, respect, and courtesy. We should be civil, tolerant, and respectful to each other even if disagreements are to be had. Through manners, civility, tolerance, and respect a discussion can be had with reason when these lost arts are used. Avoid personal attacks and discuss ideas no matter how much one disagrees with them. I think the common avoidance of religion and politics has hurt our society as we no longer are able to discuss these important topics civilly and instead fights break out when we should be having a wondrous discourse. Ideas need to flow freely and be discussed. So let’s discuss and find the truth.