Misconceptions about etiquette and the need for it abound, which make it necessary to list four things that etiquette is most certainly not:

A set of rigid rules. Manners change with the times (something Emily Post emphasized from the beginning) and today are more flexible than ever before. Etiquette isn’t a set of “prescriptions for properness” but merely a set of guidelines for doing things in ways that make people feel comfortable.

Something for the wealthy or well-born. Etiquette is a code of behavior for people from all walks of like, every socioeconomic group, and of all ages. No one is immune to having his life enhanced by good manners.

A think of the past. Sometimes it seems that yesterday’s standards have gone out the window, but today’s more casual approach to things is something that sits on the surface. The bedrock principles of etiquette remain as solid as they ever were.

Snobbishness. Little violates the tenets of etiquette more than snobbery---which, more often than not, is just another name for pretentiousness. A person who looks down on others shows himself not as superior but small---the kind who’s anything but respectful and considerate.