A Thoughtful Tuesdays Post

It’s the conversation that keeps circling back, over coffee with friends, whispered in office kitchens, even debated at family dinners: is chivalry officially six feet under?

And no, I don’t mean knights in armor tossing cloaks over puddles. I’m talking about everyday courtesies, holding doors, offering a seat to someone who clearly needs it, or is it now a revolutionary concept to treat people like they matter.

Here’s whats interesting, though, while many men love to announce what they bring to the table, the actual table manners of basic respect often seems missing. Gentlemen, you already have the table, the chair, and usually the microphone in the room. No one’s asking you to duel, just maybe give up your subway seat to the pregnant woman standing inches from your knees.

But before this spirals into finger pointing, let’s be real, with our current culture things have shifted. Maybe the brand of chivalry we grew up hearing about belongs in a history museum, alongside feathered quills and rotary phones. Still, that raises the question, if equality is the trying standard, does that mean politeness and small acts of kindness are suddenly optional? Or have we confused progress with permission to ditch our manners?

Personally, I hold doors whenever I can. I give up my seat for people who need it more. Shouldn’t that just be the baseline? Maybe it’s not about chivalry at all, maybe it’s about decency. Yet the thought lingers, why does it still feel like women shoulder more of the invisible care work in public, while some men keep receipts of what they think they’re owed simply for showing up?

So, is chivalry dead? Maybe. Or maybe it just ghosted us, changed its number, and moved to a new city, waiting for all of us, men and women alike, to stop debating who owes what, and simply show up for one another, respectfully so.

Listen, if someone wants to revive the whole knight in shining armor thing, I’m not opposed, as long as he’s equally skilled at doing the dishes, lol. Anyways these are my thoughts this week.