video | un: flowercrown

[floralias]

(( Today when Will takes to the network, he looks a little more serious than usual. There's a some weariness around his features, like he didn't get a good night's rest. But he cards his fingers through his hair to push it back and he manages a soft smile when he looks into the camera. ))

I'm curious.

There are people here from so many different places and times with so many different expectations about social interactions. So, I'm really curious. What's considered right and good behavior when and where you come from? What's polite? What's rude? What's something one could get away with but could be questionable? Is there some sort of social hierarchy?

Comments

[floralias]

(( Excuse him? Who's the one being defensive? He's just curious and not willing to take shit. Where he comes from, at least most recently, you don't answer a question with a question. And if you don't want to engage in a conversation, you simply don't. ))

They're vague for a reason. I can't ask about details I don't know.

(( He presses his lips together in thought. ))

Alright. Let's say I met a man who dresses similarly to you. For the sake of this exercise, let's presume you're actually from the same time and place. What would be considered a polite way to greet this person if I know nothing about him save that he's from sometime in what would be considered my past? In the time I've been among humans in my world, people in one part of the world have shifted from it being rude to introduce yourself to someone without a mutual acquaintance to make said introduction to it being considered rude if you don't introduce yourself. And that's only been in the last 200 years or so! And that's just in the Western world! So you see, it's very easy to make a misstep by not knowing the most basic social etiquette. Here I am wanting to make friends with this man and just speaking to him may be an insult to him. But how am I to know that if I don't have friends from his culture to teach me his social norms as I didn't grow up in his society?

[drqingmedwoman]

[She doesn't understand what he seems to be reacting to, so she leaves it alone. Her focus and interest remain on the topic. She listens attentively to his example and she nods in sympathy.]

That is a predicament I'm well familiar with and it has been frustrating. It is considered rude in my culture to not introduce yourself first and offer a bow of respect. The majority of people I have met here do not follow this practice, particularly those who dress in what I've learned is a more 'modern' style.

I've been slower to assume someone is trying to offend me and know that perhaps there's a misunderstanding than I used to. It's been surprising how often that is the case.

[floralias]

(( He's not reacting to anything. Nothing on his face or about his body language has changed. ))

How can you know if you respect someone if you've never met them?

[drqingmedwoman]

I believe there's a certain level of respect everyone should be given. It speaks to who you are more than it mattering who they are. What about you? What do you think?

[floralias]

I think there are plenty of people who don't deserve my respect. People who do evil and delight in cruelty don't deserve my respect. People who think their worldview is the only worldview that matters don't deserve my respect. People who look down on others based solely on their apparent age or some other completely arbitrary standard don't deserve my respect. People who are callous don't deserve my respect. People who act like they're better than others don't deserve my respect. I'm sure I could think of others if I put my mind to it.