Look To The Past To See The Future ONE DAY, in the middle of researching the origins of etiquette, I opted to forgo the internet and instead glanced through my grandparents’ encyclopedia collection. Almost immediately, I opened the E (volume 6) edition and turned to the section on etiquette. Hours of online research withheld information that I located in the encyclopedia within minutes – the first book of etiquette was The Precepts of Ptah-Hotep written by Egyptian ruler Ptah-Hotep. Published around 2388 B.C., it is the world’s oldest book and served as a code of conduct for men. The first European book of etiquette was not published until 1200 A.D. THOUGH MOST WEBSITES begin the origin of etiquette with the French Royal courts of King Louis XIV (who assumed power in 1661), African Royalty had long before documented its rules of society, customs, manners and protocol. These rules encompassed everything from which sandal to wear on what occasion, to how to deal gallantly with confrontation. At that time, our cultural tools and practices were geared toward teaching our boys how to be men. Without getting into the ramifications of slavery, I want to emphasize a few things. First, how important it is to seek information beyond the confines of Western institutions that do not depict history accurately. Second, the importance of knowing our history. MORE THAN TALKING about when we were kings, how did we behave when we were kings? How did we teach our children to address their elders? How did we instruct our children to behave as guests? How did we allow our young men to treat young women? There is an old adage, “Look to the past to see the future.” If, even in just this instance, we adapt this mentality, we will be doing our children a great service. Envision the positive consequences of grooming young men to accept the greater roles they will assume later as men in society.

Look To The Past To See The Future

ONE DAY, in the middle of researching the origins of etiquette, I opted to forgo the internet and instead glanced through my grandparents’ encyclopedia collection. Almost immediately, I opened the E (volume 6) edition and turned to the section on etiquette. Hours of online research withheld information that I located in the encyclopedia within minutes – the first book of etiquette was The Precepts of Ptah-Hotep written by Egyptian ruler Ptah-Hotep. Published around 2388 B.C., it is the world’s oldest book and served as a code of conduct for men. The first European book of etiquette was not published until 1200 A.D.

THOUGH MOST WEBSITES begin the origin of etiquette with the French Royal courts of King Louis XIV (who assumed power in 1661), African Royalty had long before documented its rules of society, customs, manners and protocol. These rules encompassed everything from which sandal to wear on what occasion, to how to deal gallantly with confrontation. At that time, our cultural tools and practices were geared toward teaching our boys how to be men. Without getting into the ramifications of slavery, I want to emphasize a few things. First, how important it is to seek information beyond the confines of Western institutions that do not depict history accurately. Second, the importance of knowing our history.

MORE THAN TALKING about when we were kings, how did we behave when we were kings? How did we teach our children to address their elders? How did we instruct our children to behave as guests? How did we allow our young men to treat young women? There is an old adage, “Look to the past to see the future.” If, even in just this instance, we adapt this mentality, we will be doing our children a great service. Envision the positive consequences of grooming young men to accept the greater roles they will assume later as men in society.

()