Tea at Trianon: Errors of Etiquette

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Errors of Etiquette

From Lifezette:

1.) Don’t try to prove you’re the smartest person in the room (even if you are).

I’ve been lucky enough to travel all over the world and have learned this: You will be more popular and well-liked if you always remain humble. Sure, confidence is key to getting ahead in life. It helps you do better at work, in relationships, in interviews. Overconfidence, however, can make you seem like a jerk, especially if you work with people of different cultures. We all know one person who thinks he or she is the strongest, smartest, and just all around best at everything. Truthfully, we dislike that person to some degree.

It’s important to stay humble. People respond well to humility because it shows you place yourself at the same level as them, and not above them. No matter how successful you think you are, never forget where you came from and always try to see the world through other people’s eyes.

2.) Don’t hide from your mistakes — take responsibility and do your best to fix them.
It’s OK to be wrong sometimes — and more importantly, it’s OK to admit it to others. When you mess up, drop the ball, miss a deadline, or have an epic fail, it can feel like your career is coming to an end. But any great leader will tell you that he or she has many mistakes along the way.
Good leaders will admit it was the collective insight from bad decisions that taught them invaluable lessons. So learn to see opportunities in everything (good and bad). (Read more.)