The Death of the Gentleman

By the time George Washington was sixteen, he had copied out by hand, 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation, a set of rules composed by French Jesuits in 1595. The assumption is that this was part of young Washington’s schooling. However, the Father of our Country practiced the lessons from these Rules throughout his whole life.

Richard Brookhiser, in his book on Washington wrote that "all modern manners in the western world were originally aristocratic. Courtesy meant behavior appropriate to a court;chivalry comes from chevalier – a knight. Yet Washington was to dedicate himself to freeing America from a court's control. Could manners survive the operation? Without realizing it, the Jesuits who wrote them, and the young man who copied them, were outlining and absorbing a system of courtesy appropriate to equals and near-equals. When the company for whom the decent behavior was to be performed expanded to the nation, Washington was ready. Parson Weems got this right, when he wrote that it was 'no wonder every body honoured him who honoured every body.'"

We live in a different time. That much is obvious. Being a gentleman is out. Speaking your mind without regard to others is in.

Although it’s not yet 2016, like it or not, we are in the process of selecting a person to the presidency of the United States. What do we want from that person? Where will we set our standards? Will we raise the bar high and demand a person of high moral integrity and honor? Granted this is hard to come by these days, but I believe that is due in large part to we the people settling for less than we truly want and need.

While many of Washington’s 110 Rules would seem a bit out of place in today’s modern society, I believe they set forth a principle that we would do well to think on. The basis of all of those rules is to put others before yourself.

What a different world we would live in if people would put this one simple principle into practice.

So as you are barraged with the news everyday, candidates and campaigns, pundits and politics, take a moment. Stop and think - is this person who wants to run my country, obeying even the most basic rules of civility and decent behavior?

On second thought, maybe it’s a question we just need to ask ourselves to start with. Then we’ll work on our politicians.

Rule 1:  Action done in Company, ought to be with Some Sign of Respect, to those that are Present.

Rule 47: Mock not nor Jest at any thing of Importance break [n]o Jest that are Sharp Biting and if you Deliver any thing witty and Pleasant abstain from Laughing thereat yourself.

Rule 49: Use no Reproachful Language against any one neither Curse nor Revile.

Rule 63: A Man ought not to value himself of his Achievements, or rare Qualities of wit; much less of his riches Virtue or Kindred.

Rule 110: Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.

Jonathan Paine

painefultruth1776@gmail.com

@painefultruth76