Talking point: Do you have good manners?

The decline of good manners is a recurrent topic whenever we talk about how society is changing. I remember my grandparents telling me the way good manners were declining, my parents telling me about my generation's lack of manners and me telling my daughter a similar story.

How would you define “good manners”?
Is it knowing proper etiquette when you’re in a restaurant?
Saying “please” and “thank you”?
Being kind and thoughtful of others?
Do you agree with those who say that civility in general is declining everywhere?
Do you think having good manners is important?
Do you think you have good manners yourself?
How would you rate your own manners?
Do you think our society in general is becoming less civil and more rude? Why or why not?
Do you remember an occasion when somebody was impolite to you?
Do you remember an occasion when you could have been more polite to someone else?

This was the topic of the Student Opinion in The New York Times The Learning Network blog in early November.

As a background article to the topic they used A Last Bastion of Civility, the South, Sees Manners Decline by Kim Severson, which you can also read before you get together with your conversation group to discuss this topic.

In your discussion, it is expected that some anecdotes about people behaving rudely will come up. Use the following expressions to showing surprise and react to what your friends tell you. 

Really?
It can’t be!

I can’t believe you / it! / my ears!
Reply questions: Did you? Have you? Is she?
Exclamations: Oh dear! Oh my God! (That’s) incredible / amazing!