What are the basic elements, or parts, of good manners? Certainly, a strong sense of justice is one; politeness is often 1 more than a highly developed sense of fair play. A friend of mine once told me of him 2 along a one-lane (独路车道) dirt road. 3 was another car that produced clouds of choking 4, and it was a long way to the nearest highway. Suddenly, at a 5 place, the car in front pulled off the road. 6 that its owner might have engine trouble, my friend stopped and asked if anything was wrong. "7," said the other driver. "But you've tolerated my dust this far; I'll 8 with yours the rest of the way."
Another element of politeness is empathy (同理心), a 9 that enables a person to see into the mind or heart of someone else, to 10 the pain or suffering there and to do something to minimize it. A man 11 alone in a restaurant was trying to unscrew (拧开) the cap of a beer bottle.12, he couldn't do it because of badly injured 13. He turned to a young kid for help. The kid took the bottle, 14 and loosened the cap without difficulty. Then he 15 it again. Turning back to the man, he 16 to make great efforts to open the bottle without success. 17 he took it into the kitchen and returned shortly, saying that he had 18 to loosen it — but only with a pair of pliers (钳子).
Yet another element of politeness is the ability to treat all people 19, regardless of all status or importance. 20 when you have doubts about some people, act as if they are worthy of your best manners. You may also be astonished to find out that they really are.
Politeness is the key to a happier world.
