Chivalry should open doors for humanity

His faint smile transformed into a look of utter confusion as
the girl stopped and gave him an equally confused stare.

Pretending not to see the awkward situation, I entered through
another set of doors.

Chivalry has become an obscure concept in recent times. It is by
no means an isolated phenomenon; it is rather part of a web of
behavior molded by experience.

Exposure to chivalry occurs first in the family; we observe
various interpersonal relationships while watching and
impersonating our relatives.

“I observed the way my father treated women ““ how he
would stand up if a woman entered the room. You don’t
actually process the action, it just becomes ingrained from a very
young age” says third-year computer science student Tom
Lyttelton.

“You have gravity and you open doors for women ““
it’s a given” says Jacob Rothfield, a third-year
physics student.

Chivalry can also be reinforced by simple displays of respect
from both genders.

“Equality was instilled in me because I have a lot of
females in my family,” said Hiten Mulchandani, a third-year
mechanical engineering student.

This doesn’t mean you need to like every person you open
the door for. Nor should chivalry take on the role of a job and
become a burden in our already demanding lives.

“You don’t pay for someone’s dinner out of
chivalry,” says second-year microbiology, immunology, and
molecular genetics student Eric Dugum. He believes that in America,
the emphasis is mostly placed on treating women as equals.

As the social circle widens, countries where women have
historically had the opportunity to actively participate in the
public and political sphere seem to place more value in chivalry
along with this value for gender equality.

“New Zealand was the first country to introduce universal
suffrage and our female prime minister has helped drive the economy
up,” said Mulchandani, a student from New Zealand.

Through media, we often see the older generation exhibit acts of
chivalry and exaggerated courtesy, but the modern young person
doesn’t.

The problem is that media often does not reveal the reality;
instead, it shows an altered version and claims that as reality.
Young people should be wary of the misconceptions often
communicated by the media and should not allow this to control
their actions.

Feminism has proved itself a two-sided influence on the
population.

It has allowed women to advance in the professional world and
accept a mode of living that offers opportunities, but it has also
“blurred the line of the expectations in a relationship
between the opposite sexes” Rothfield said.

Chivalry serves to oil the wheels of communication and
compassion ““ it can be used to better ourselves on a personal
level.

When I encounter chivalry, I view it as a token of respect and a
positive expression of attention. For students, the level of
chivalry should be determined by the level that they feel
comfortable expressing.

In our fast-paced, hectic society, a little assistance and a
smile can do a world of good.

E-mail Oster at [email protected].