BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Etiquette Is Etiquette a form of self-suppression?

I received a comment in my inbox from a reader asking/stating:

Etiquette is a form of self suppression, so why suppress ourselves.

This is a very controversial thought. Some would agree adn some wouldn't and I'm curious to know what we all think of this. So, feel free to comment.

Are we suppressing ourselves by observing Etiquette norms? single choice
	Yes
	No
	A Bit of Both
Votes accepted starting: 02/04/06 10:58 PM You must vote before you can view the results of this poll.

I think it is a form of suppressing ourselves, but suppress is not always a bad thing. Self control is something that we teach to our kids to make it easier to live together. Etiquette is more than where the fork is on the table, but how we treat each other.

Of course it is a form of self-suppression, it is also a form of showing that you care more about others than yourself!

For goodness' sake, what a silly comment. We are not animals to do just whatever we please whenever we please. As human beings we have emotions, which includes sympathy ; the definition of which is to be able to imagine another person's feelings! If you are a decent human being then you care just as much about the comfort and feelings of others around you as you do about yourself. Otherwise it is called egotistical.

Yep, it is suppression, and praise the etiquette goddesses!

IMHO, some etiquette is archaic and a little silly, but basic "rules" about good manners and polite, civilized behavior are necessary for everyone venturing outside their cave to interact with others.

If you want to be "unsuppressed", feel free to do so in your own home, but out here amongst the rest of us, please suppress those base urges. In other words, pick your nose, scratch your genitals and expel gas privately, please. And thank you!

It can be self-suppression but isn't always.

Saying "thank you" to someone who gave a gift isn't usually too painful for most of us.

However, when someone cuts in line right in front of us, our instincts might be to say, "Hey, you %$#$#@!, what the &^%%#$# are you doing? Get your $#@!&^ to the back of the line!"

However, it may be a form of self-suppression to smile and simply say, "Excuse me, it's kind of hard to see, but the end of the line is there (pointing)" or a real form of self-suppression to keep your mouth shut!

Speaking of passing gas in private...exactly how does one do that? I've never found a graceful way to surreptitiously and strategically leave a room without figuring that would invite more questions about where and why I'm going than just passing gas silently and feigning innocence would do!

(and obviously, etiquette would frown upon my coworker's method: try to leave the room or open the outside door, but then announce why when someone notices the action <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> )