A Matter of Courtesy

There was a young man who had been taught by his teacher to be elaborately courteous. The young man was required to prostrate himself before his teacher before speaking. He could only speak when the venerable teacher looked at him and nodded.

A Timely Encounter

One day, the teacher was taking a stroll by the riverside when the student met him and respectfully greeted him. However, a long time passed before the teacher signaled him to speak.

Urgent News

“Sir!” said the student, “I came to inform you that your house is burning. But now, I must correct my grammar and say that your house has burned. We cannot afford to be that courteous!”

The Importance of Proper Greetings

“Even when in a hurry, we ought to utter the right greeting for the occasion. Well, what do you say when you meet a friend or acquaintance on the street in the evening or at night, but you have no time to stop? Just say ‘Good night.’ But if you meet to have a conversation, say ‘Good evening’ first, and then ‘Good night’ when you leave.”

Daytime Greetings

If you are to greet someone during the day, say ‘Good morning’ or ‘Good afternoon,’ depending on the time. Say ‘Goodbye’ when you leave. In fact, ‘Good morning’ and ‘Good afternoon’ can also be used at parting, but ‘Goodbye’ is preferable, particularly if the person is well-known to you.

Informal Farewells

‘Cheerio’ and ‘So long’ are other forms of bidding farewell, but you should use them only for close friends. Additionally, if a close friend is going to attend a relative’s funeral, do not say ‘Cheerio’ to him!