n Many people in our society are hypocritical, inconsiderate and like a wolf in sheep’s skin. As a book should not be judged by its cover people, should not be judged merely by what they are wearing and how they appear. However, our attire is an added incentive to bring our personality into a limelight. But our mannerism can depict a lot more than our attires. So, one should always endeavour to look decent both from inside and outside and such a man has high dignity in the society. Many dashingly clad people seem to be lacking good manners because mannerism can’t be ordered at tailor’s shop like the clothes. So, one must give one’s second thought while blowing nose, spitting masticated betel on the walls, passing water publicly, throwing rubbish in forbidden areas, using filthy language, etc.

Nabin Rijal, Siphal, Kathmandu

n Manner and civilisation go hand in hand. First of all we should learn manners to be a civilised person. Just by wearing nice and stylish dresses does not make a person civilised. S/ he should use polite languages and should act in a well disciplined way to become civilised.

Harihar Poudel, Pokhara 

n Those looking sober and seeming to follow the rules even have the habit of foul mouthing and spitting. Those who look civilised and morally sober mainly cause littering the street and making the environment dirty. Lack of awareness has caused all these.

Dinesh Acharya, Thamel

n Our culture and tradition is not what we wear, what we show but it is what others see in us. We wear fashionable and expensive clothes and consider ourselves superior to others. Walking in the roads in expensive attire, we forget our social norms and values. We should not forget that even Mahatma Gandhi became a grand personality just by wearing simple attire. Spitting around, forgetting our social norms, teasing others, etc, are the most heinous social evils and even clean and expensive clothes can’t hide them.

Gauri Shanker Basnet

n People who wear spotless gorgeous attire but lack civic manners are not truly civilised. Civilised means to have some internal and external qualities. Agreed that one’s decent attire is symbol of civilisation, however, it is not complete unless his/ her language is decent. We hear people speaking filthy words. Many others spit the betel juice wherever they want. What we need to do is we should be trained in civic awareness. We should not forget that beauty lies in modesty, kind and soft words

Gopal Sharma, Joprpati, Kathmandu

n Decent and fashionable attire could not be enough to determine what s/ he is. If fact, there may exist something inherited which speak more than the attire. We must follow the norms we inherited from our ancient times. Good attire is not everything to gain reputation but we should catch up all those social norms, which are the symbol of civilisation. Foul mouthing, spitting around, disturbing cleanliness, etc, should be avoided.

Arjun Ojha

n Besides our attractive attire, we also need to follow general norms of civilisation. Costume alone is not civilisation. Civilisation includes decentness as well as good social manners. We should also care about others when we perform activities like spitting. We are often victims of people who are spitting, foul mouthing, or smoking without caring about the people around them. People with such habits often spoil others’ clothes or shoes and trouble them in one way or the other. I have personally become victim of people throwing dirty water from their houses. Until we develop good social habits and begin thinking about others, we will not be referred, as “civilised”

C P Singh Chhetri

Pradarshani Marg, Kathmandu

n I often unexpectedly happen to encounter some dandies whose words, jeering to their own attire, propel me to close my ears. It’s not unusual to see people in streets speaking derogatory languages, spitting anywhere they desire, and some publicly performing ignominious toileting activities. We, while walking in streets, are hardly conscious about the negative consequences that our impromptu and negligent behaviour may cause to others. As long as we don’t ameliorate our entire behaviour in disciplined and socially acceptable manner, we are far from being gentle and civilised in real sense. Just to be gaudily trimmed in decent and attractive attire to show gentleness is farcical in itself.

Hem B Chaulagai

Public Youth Campus, Dhobichaur

n Clad in the trendiest outfits they look really fetching and civilised. But as I start conversing with them, every sentence is full of foul jargons. So far even an informal talk is concerned, I don’t find any clue in the need to speak foul words that others may not like or may find offensive. Why not stop adhering to such a barbarian language and start adapting a decent and civilised tongue?

Praghosh Kshetry, Dang

n Never judge the book by its cover. Likewise, we should never judge any person by his decent and attractive attire. What one wears could be the recognition of a person’s external beauty but not of his/ her internal beauty. Wearing decent and attractive clothes doesn’t signify that the person is very civilised. Modernisation has touched the Nepali culture. They try to copy everything from the western societies — from fashion to appearance but they don’t bother to follow and learn good things. General norms of civilisation not only includes appearing decent but also comprises language we speak and the way we behave.

Susanna Shrestha, Capital College and Research Centre

n The person who follows the general norms of civilisation is going to fit in well with the team rather than some one having the most brilliant qualifications, decent and attractive attire but a sarcastic mouth. So, just wearing decent and attractive attire is not enough if you really want to be loved by others. Make sure you brush your teeth and have a healthy breakfast before you begin your day so that you won’t have a dragon mouth and stomach sound like a bath draining when you are with others.

Mikha Shrestha

Shanker Dev College

n The norms of human civilisation comprise good heart and understanding with social awareness. Missing any one of above may not form the norms. A good heart never tends to harm others and finally understanding brings much above to learn about awareness. Yet, we are primarily taught the civic sense in books but still we are lacking these qualities. Lack of awareness in people is the basic reason. Merely having good look is not sufficient.

Navang, Tusal, Kathmandu

n It is a good to look gentle wearing decent and attractive attire but this only keeps us up with physical personality. To exhibit what we have within us, we must possess some inner qualities. One is regarded a gentleman or woman if s/ he shows good behaviour irrespective of what one wears. I have found that mostly men who are not trained from their childhood may spit and use foul language.

Mohan Narshingh Shrestha

Kupondol

n Everybody wishes to be gentle. However, the attractive attires and fragrances don’t show gentleness. Our habit and character play major role to set forth our gentleness. Wearing suit and tie with foul mouthing habit and poor moral character does not concur with civilisation. Mahatma Gandhi, Gautam Buddha, etc are the inspirational figures who always emphasised on inner qualities rather than external appearance. I have seen many friends who wear proper dress with attractive hairstyle but foul mouthing, teasing girls and other rude behaviours are the integral part of their daily lives. One who has good character does not need external gentleness.

Dilip Dachhepati

Capital College, Kathmandu

n We wear beautiful and attractive dresses to draw others attention. We think several times about our dresses before going out but hardly do we care about how we are behaving. Foul words are just in the tip of our tongue. Foul mouthing and spitting around affects personality and it is not covered with good dress up. Wearing attractive dresses are useless if we do not behave well.

Surekha Thulung, Boudha

n An adage, ‘style makes the man’ seems applicable in everyone’s life. A conception ‘A man is judged by his clothes’ is deeply rooted in our society. It’s an open secret that all of us want to be smart and well dressed. But, only few of us care about true gentleness, which can be deserved by following basic norms of civilisations. Spitting carelessly and using invective words are normally our character. Every one of us must understand that genuine gentleness remains in the core of the heart. I hope this is not an exaggeration but I am aware of such elements and am always far from filthy words and habit of spitting around.

Anjan Gurung, Pokhara

n Though, civilisation is the composition of decent and attractive attires and general norms in equal ratio, we are mostly inclined towards our dress-up. We think that just putting perfume and wearing smart attire makes us civilised. There are many general norms, which we don’t follow to make ourselves civilised but makes us wild in reality. If a man in an impeccable uniform throws chocolate wrapper or bark of groundnut or urinates on the street, or uses foul language then where does the civilisation lie?

Hem KC

n Most of us want to look gentle wearing decent and attractive attire. But most of us pay more attention to our outer appearances than the inner qualities. Our appearance does symbolise civilization. Those with clean inner soul and good manner are always civilised irrespective of what they put on. I remember an incident. I was waiting for a bus and I saw a handsome man, dressed up in attractive clothes, quarreling with a rickshaw-puller. The rickshaw-puller was asking for his minimum wage but the man wanted to pay half of his demand. The gentle man slapped him and went away not putting even a single penny in his hand. Does this kind of activity symbolise a civilised characteristic.

Kritan Sapkota

Padsari, Bhairahawa

n It is of course a good idea to show the pride in ones’ deportment as long as our overall norms and duties are fulfilled. But when we start behaving against the slightest limit of our social norms, our reputation will be automatically sullied. Therefore, I think, the first thing we need to inculcate in our mind is the good manner which must be sown right from the childhood — from parents, schools and in our peer groups.

Shree Gautam, Chhauni

n It is said that if you look good you feel good. Men are analysed by what they wear rather then what they really are. It is so unfortunate that these days we are bound with these narrow thoughts and we mostly behave brutally. Our way of perceiving people with their outer appearances is so dominant that we are neglecting the general norms of civilisation. Dressing well and looking smart is important but far important is to be good from our soul. If one dresses up well and also encompasses the norms and value of civilisation then it is something that is always paid off. Great people in history have always been remembered for their good deeds and morality, not for their outer appearances. “White soul is far more better than white clothes.”

Deepesh Sharma, Nepalganj

In this materialistic world, people are showy. But they are lack of attitudes, positive thinking, good ideas, etc. Wearing decent and attractive attire is important but in the mean time it is also necessary that general norms of civilisation should be followed. People are revered for their inner qualities, not for their outfits. It is important that one should follow the general norms of civilization to be cilvilised apart from wearing good clothes.

Surya Kumar Shrestha, Pokhara

Our clothing depends on our culture. If we imitate others’ fashion, we do not follow the general norms of civilisation. We wear expensive clothes or jewelleries to show our decentness. The people of developed countries choose their attire according to their comfort, however people of developing country wear attires that are attractive but uncomfortable. The English people of Victorian era, used to wear very long gowns to be seen gentle but the same English people of 21st century, wear very short clothes to be attractive. Both of them belong to the same climate but culture is different. The women of our age are equal as men, they too work as men so they wear clothes as their convenience. Therefore, wearing decent and attractive attire, we try to look gentle and follow the general norms of civilisation as well.

Manzu

We have lots of example that great people never wear attractive dress to show their greatness. Mahatma Gandhi did not need any proof of appearance or attire to show his decency and gentleness. Nowadays there are a lot of people especially in urban areas who though are clad in beautiful dress, spit around and use abusive language demeaning the cultural values. So, if you want to be civilised and decent, you should follow the guidelines of great people like Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, etc.

Ganesh Niraula

If you are good enough, all others will be good to you. Do the same what you expect from others.  Many of us like to show cleanliness by throwing garbage into neighbours’ field. Let’s think if same thing happens from the neighbours’ point of view. Spitting here and there can spread different diseases. We should stop such habit immediately. Many people think themselves as superior to use foul language. We should develop habit of using the words and language, which we can use in front of all our seniors, superiors and beloved ones. 

Raghubar Ram Dev, Koteshwor

Right from the beginning of the civilisation human endeavour has been towards looking decent. We have got remarkable success in this direction. But, unfortunately proportional development has not taken place as far as general norms of civilisation are concerned. Love, affections, emotions, feelings, manners, tolerance are the true assets pf human being which seems to be declining. We have become more impatient, intolerant, snooty, rude and rakish. Attractive attire has helped us look gentle bringing additional touch in our personality but it is equally true that we have become more materialistic. Fascinating attire is not sufficient enough to be a true human being. Until and unless we cultivate general norms of civilisation, we won’t succeed anywhere. 

Amitabh Rajan, Kupondol

I know many so-called gentlemen who’d always like to put on smart dress but they don’t know even the ‘M’ of the word manner. I’ve seen them blowing cigarettes at public places, spitting everywhere carelessly, using obscene words, teasing girls, etc. I think good clothes change just our outer look while good manner depends upon the good habit. For being civilised you don’t need to be in a modest appearance; what you have to do is to cultivate good habits.

Binayak Chalise, Jorpati

Wearing decent and attractive attire can add to your beauty and personality better than ever and it is important because today beauty and personality are considered as an important factor in every field. A good-looking person always finds a lot of friends that are required. If you do not give sufficient attention to your personality, the other will not give sufficient attention to you.

Nagendra Rai