9781422278130

The Importance of Good Etiquette in Social Situations

Of course, we’re not the only creatures in the world who depend on social interaction with others in order to survive and thrive. But scientists believe that the complexity of our social arrangements, language, and cognitive abilities are largely due to the size and structure of our brains. Unlike other animals, humans have very large brains, as well as a big brain area called the prefrontal cortex (it’s right behind your forehead). This area is important for what are known as executive functions, which include activities like planning, problem solving, and personality development. It’s the function of the prefrontal cortex, among other factors, that has helped determine how we interact socially with others and why exactly social interaction is so important for our health and well-being. That’s right, our brains are literally wired to be social! How Good Etiquette Helps Us Socialize Better in Modern Times But just because socializing is a natural and inherent part of our genetic makeup, it doesn’t necessarily mean that socializing is always easy for us. In fact, while the amazing advances in technology that we enjoy today have made it easier than ever to interact with people, they have also made social isolation a real issue. We may be connected to others via the Internet, but often lack face-to-face communication and deep personal interactions. For many of us, this leads to feelings

of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and other mood problems. And while things like loneliness and sadness have

existed throughout human history, many of us today

struggle with a lack of supportive social networks combined with greater pressure to be independent and go it alone. For this reason, participating in traditional social situations is more important than ever. These bring people together in person, reinforce social ties, offer a sense of identity, evoke a sense of security, connect different

The prefrontal area of the brain has a number of functions, including determining how we interact socially with others. 12