Thread: Why there are so few Gentlemen any more...

Perhaps you have seen this before?

I actually had that as the background on my phone for a while. Love it.

Growing up in the 1950s I lived in hotels a lot because my mother worked in them and would get deals on the rent. No car so it was convenient to live where she worked. I met a lot of old folks who lived in the hotels hanging out in the lobby and would sit and talk with them since there were few people my age around.

I remember more than one old man saying they were "gentlemen of the old school." I didn't quite know what that meant at the time and I wonder if anyone reading this ever heard that said ? I think it has to do with popular culture. Movies and radio, television. For people who were born before those forms of entertainment existed they weren't influenced by them. Being a smart ass or a tough guy, get him before he gets you ..... all those things are inculcated by some of our popular culture.

Look at the sit coms and how they make behaviors and lifestyles that were unacceptable in 'polite society' the norm. We homo sapiens are largely 'monkey see, monkey do and I attribute our current level of conduct to that influence. Look at the foul language that is used by men and women nowadays.

Young people I am sometimes around use the F word like it was if, and or but, no matter what company they are in. In the late 1960s that sort of language, which had been unacceptable in 'mixed company' , began to be routine in the movies. Wasn't long before it was beginning to be heard in the drawing room as well as the street corner. Different world from what it was when i was growing up. In some ways it is better but in many ways it is not. IMHO.

The winner take all, no holds barred, devil take the hindmost climate of today doesn't breed many gentlemen. You loose sight of things like "it is not whether you win or loose but how you play the game" thanks to fine examples like Lance. Surprisingly there are still a few gentlemen left for some reason.

Bob

My generation embarasses me sometimes to be a part of. I admit I do have a bit of a sarcastic sense of humor, but its obvious I am only joking. I do pride myself as being a gentleman, atleast the older women that are patients where I work call me as such, then again my nickname is "drill sargeant" when I work with them lol! The culture of the 30's and 40's has always fascinated me, and I'm a big WWII buff as well. Take this litely here cause I know it can be a sensitive topic, and I am not bashing when I say this; merely a personal observation in my personal life. I do believe women have had a large influence on the males in my generation more than anything. The bad boy, I'll kick all your a$$é$ personna the girls (I hesitate to call most of them women) have seemed to equate to the real manly man, are the kind of jerks many of the girls I know have married, and I get the pleasure of having to listen to their latest fight and how much of a (insert male reproductive organ euphamism) he is, or the overly sensitive mamas boy they married who pitches a temper tantrum when they dont get there way, and they arent talking now b/c she hurt his feelings...I'm sorry but you married him, and you knew what you were getting into. I just think its ironic, that their perception of me is a gentleman (walking them to their cars at night, holding doors for them complimenting them if they ask my opinion on whatever, and saying yes mame, even treating them and personal training them for free because they are co workers) makes me the nice guy and a gentleman, but not dating material in this generation
Ok, rant over.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Growing up in the 1950s I lived in hotels a lot because my mother worked in them and would get deals on the rent. No car so it was convenient to live where she worked. I met a lot of old folks who lived in the hotels hanging out in the lobby and would sit and talk with them since there were few people my age around.

I remember more than one old man saying they were "gentlemen of the old school." I didn't quite know what that meant at the time and I wonder if anyone reading this ever heard that said ? I think it has to do with popular culture. Movies and radio, television. For people who were born before those forms of entertainment existed they weren't influenced by them. Being a smart ass or a tough guy, get him before he gets you ..... all those things are inculcated by some of our popular culture.



Look at the sit coms and how they make behaviors and lifestyles that were unacceptable in 'polite society' the norm. We homo sapiens are largely 'monkey see, monkey do and I attribute our current level of conduct to that influence. Look at the foul language that is used by men and women nowadays.

Young people I am sometimes around use the F word like it was if, and or but, no matter what company they are in. In the late 1960s that sort of language, which had been unacceptable in 'mixed company' , began to be routine in the movies. Wasn't long before it was beginning to be heard in the drawing room as well as the street corner. Different world from what it was when i was growing up. In some ways it is better but in many ways it is not. IMHO.

You know Jimmy, there is a T.V skit which is quite old, where a very erudite middle aged announcer goes into a long soliloquy of how the F word is the most useful word in the English Language. It can be used as a verb, noun, adjective, adverb...just about anything you want really.

Unfortunately it has become the universal word. I used to deal with people who, when put in a situation where they felt it was inappropriate to use the F word their vocabulary instantly shrank so much they could not express their thoughts.

I don't know who to blame it all on. Just the downhill slide that has been going on in our society for years now I guess.

What an interesting conversation this cartoon started

It is interesting to compare and contrast new and old. We sit in the new and look at the old and see romance and superior behavior and discuss it on computers that allow conversations to take place over distances that took months or more to make back in the old.

It would be nice to have both...

Originally Posted by unit

What an interesting conversation this cartoon started

It is interesting to compare and contrast new and old. We sit in the new and look at the old and see romance and superior behavior and discuss it on computers that allow conversations to take place over distances that took months or more to make back in the old.

It would be nice to have both...

Another reason I enjoy this forum as I do; meeting like minded folks like you guys. Before joining here I started to wonder my god am I realy that much of an endangered breed!? Nice to be proven wrong sometimes.

Originally Posted by unit

What an interesting conversation this cartoon started

It is interesting to compare and contrast new and old. We sit in the new and look at the old and see romance and superior behavior and discuss it on computers that allow conversations to take place over distances that took months or more to make back in the old.

It would be nice to have both...

That begs the question of whether "the good old days" were really that good in the first place or just a romantic notion as seen from today.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

That begs the question of whether "the good old days" were really that good in the first place or just a romantic notion as seen from today.

Bob

The grass is always greener...

It was not uncommon for people to die from the common cold/flu. Infections were often fatal. Childbirth was risky for one or both parties involved. Make no mistake the good ole days are romanticized.

We all should hope to enjoy the best of all times through better understanding of available resources old and new