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Jun 27, 2006
"Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won't come in." --Alan Alda
The World's Most Courteous City
We hear a lot about how common courtesy is a dying art form. Recently Readers Digest conducted a survey to find out if good manners are indeed going out of style. Contrary to popular belief they found civility was alive and well -- in a place where you’d least expect it: New York City! Survey-takers in major cities across 35 countries used three experiments: "door tests" (would anyone hold one open for them?); "document drops" (who would help them retrieve a pile of "accidentally" dropped papers?); and "service tests" (which salesclerks would thank them for a purchase?). And guess what? In the end, four out of every five people they encountered in NYC passed the courtesy test -- making New York the most courteous city in the world. Imagine that!
BE THE CHANGE
Take a moment today to challenge some of your oldest assumptions about the place you live in and the people you work with. Experiment and see what happens when you "scrub off" an assumption.