Chivalry

“The motto of
chivalry is also the
motto of wisdom; to
serve all, but love
only one.”
Honore de Balzac.
.................
Thankfully, society has made progress in the area of
gender equality. Gone are the days where women
were considered property and were thought
incapable of doing anything other than housework.
Yet the equality of the sexes has made the polite way
of interacting with women confusing to some. While
women are equal to men, it does not give you an
excuse to treat a woman like a man.
Women still want to be treated like ladies. Set
yourself apart from the group by practicing the
simple but effective art of chivalry.
One caveat: Be attentive to the desires of women.
While many women appreciate these gestures, some
feel uncomfortable with them. Respect the request of
a woman who does not wish to have the door opened
for her or a seat given up for her.
Open the door. A gentleman will always hold the door for a lady.
This applies to car doors of course. Open the car door and wait there
until she is
seated. Be careful in business situations though. Opening a door for
a woman here may cause problems, so be discrete about it.

Carry a handkerchief
A clean hanky should be a part of every man’s arsenal. They’ll be
especially useful at funerals or sad movies.
Retrieve dropped items. The polite thing to do is help pick up
dropped items, whether they were dropped by a man or a woman.

Walk beside a lady on the stairs. Never walk behind a woman on
the stairway. This is especially true if she's wearing a miniskirt.
Walk beside her or slightly ahead of her on the stairs.
Walk on the outside of a sidewalk. This allows your lady to be
farther from the traffic. This way, if someone is going to be
splashed, it will be you, not her.

Give up your seat
If a lady arrives at the table and there are no available seats, you
should stand up and offer yours to her. Also give up your seat onthe subway or bus for any woman, elderly person, or people with
physical handicaps.
Make sure she gets home safely. You should always offer to walk
or drive her home. If she doesn’t feel comfortable having you
walk or drive her home, put her in a cab and pay the driver. You
will win points by ensuring that she doesn’t feel vulnerable.
Put on her coat
Always help a lady put on her coat or overgarment. This is a simple
but powerful action.
Get out of your car. When you come pick a date up, get out of the
car and come to the door. A honk or call from you cell phone letting
her know that you are ready demonstrates you have no class. If you
do drive her home, get out of your car when you get to her house.
When the date is over, get out the car and offer to walk her to the
door. Don’t presume that she wants you to go to the door because
your lady might not be comfortable with you doing so. Getting out
of the car shows your date that they are important.

Introduce her to people Even if you just run into an acquaintance
on the street, introduce her. Take a moment to say her name. She’ll
feel like part of the conversation even if she doesn’t add anything.
Never smoke in the presence of a lady unless invited to.
While she may not ask you to, make sure you do request her
permission.
Pay attention to the weather. If the weather is cool, and especially if
it‘s obvious that she‘s cold, offer your jacket. If it is raining, hold
the
umbrella. If it is icy or pouring rain, play valet and go get the car so
she doesn’t have to brave the elements.