Why can’t I just find a gentle man?

There is no doubt about it: Gentlemen are a dying breed. On the “J. Mahoney Endangered Categories of the Human Species” List, Gentlemen are #2. We, yes we, are slowly fading from existence in the modern world. When my brother and I were growing up, our father impressed upon us the importance of the manner in which we treat women, table manners, and how we carry ourselves. It is something that I am proud to say today has stuck for my whole life. It is also something I plan to teach my children, so that they may teach their children, and so on and so forth. Being a Gentleman or Gentlelady (yes there is such a thing) is not something that will die out of this family!

The most important points of being a Gentleman is the way you treat a woman. In the modern world, women have finally been given the rights they deserve. They can vote, they have proved that they are on an equal playing field with men physically and mentally, and they have become equals in society. There is no doubt that they still face adversity: examples of which being that America has yet to elect a female president or the small number of female executives in the business world. Politics and business, I am sad to say, remain categories dominated by men.

It is my theory that with women as independent as they are in the modern world, men have begun to wonder, “Why should I do it for them, when they can do it themselves”. Women can open doors to restaurants, and climb out of the car on their own. They have an income, so why should I pay every time we go out? Now, I am being dramatic since women have been physically able to do all of these things for a very long time. For them to do so was not socially acceptable though. In modern day. opening a door/car door for a lady or pulling out their chair draws attention because it is so far from the norm. It is a sad fact that a man pulling out a chair for his lady will turn some heads. In turn, men avoid the attention by sacrificing thoughtfulness.

It is true that women can do everything a gentleman does for them, but one thing has never changed about women: women love to feel like a princess. Do not interpret this incorrectly, for this is not a bad thing. Men love to feel like the center of attention too, but just as the first kiss or proposing for marriage, tradition puts the responsibility in our lap. By opening a car door, helping them into a restaurant, pulling their chair out for them, and paying for dinner, you have made that woman feel like the center of the universe. For that night, they were flooded with those ever-enchanting “little things”. Men, you would be surprised how these little, low-effort, signs of thoughtfulness will win you points with the right girl. There are women out there, unfortunately, who would frown on these acts and consider them strange, embarrassing, and (oh yes) degrading. That, my friends, is the wrong girl for you.

Being a gentleman is a learned trait. We are in the world of nurture for this, folks. A gentleman is not born a gentleman. He is crafted to be so. And the responsibility does not solely lie in the father’s hands. Many men who come from single mother families have a higher regard for women as they have grown around a perfect example. We must teach out children correctly, or chivalry certainly will die out.