Difference Between Good Habits and Good Manners

Key Difference – Good Habits vs Good Manners
 

Good habits and good manners are two concepts most of us are taught from the childhood itself. However, many people don’t realise that there is a difference between good habits and good manners. The key difference between good habits and good manners is that good habits refer to behaviour that is beneficial to one’s physical and mental health whereas good manners refer to polite or well-bred social behaviour.

CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Good Habits
3. What are Good Manners
4. Side by Side Comparison – Good Habits vs Good Manners
5. Summary

What are Good Habits

A habit is something a person often does in a regular or repeated way. For example, you might wake up every day at a specific time and follow a series of regular actions such as drinking tea, eating a particular food, reading the newspaper, etc. These individual actions can be named as habits. People sometimes do some actions automatically, without any conscious thoughts. For instance, you may have noticed that some people tend to bite their nails when they are nervous. This is often an involuntary action. These are also called habits. Actions such as biting your nails, fidgeting, and swearing are considered as bad habits. A person must always try to break away from bad habits and cultivate good habits. Cultivating good habits can lead to a happy and healthy life.

Some Examples of Good Habits

• Waking up early in the morning
• Going to bed on time
• Doing regular exercise
• Brushing your teeth twice a day
• Eating a healthy breakfast
• Saving money

Actions can become habits when they are repeated. So the best way to cultivate a good habit is to repeat it. For example, if you want to make waking up early a habit, make a deliberate attempt to get up early in the morning at a set time for few days, even if you don’t have any scheduled work to do in the morning. You can do this by setting up an alarm. Once this action is repeated for several days, this will become a habit. Of course, if you are in the habit of going to bed late and waking up late, this habit may be difficult for you to break away from your old habits and acquire this new habit.

Figure 1: Exercising regularly is a good habit.

What are Good Manners

Manners refer to polite or well-bred social behaviour. A person with good manners is a person who is acting in a way that is socially acceptable and respectful. He or she is always polite and courteous and considerate of others feelings. A person’s good manners always make a good impression on others.

Some Examples of Good Manners

• Saying “please” and “thank you”
• Speaking politely
• Giving up your seat for elderly people, pregnant women, etc. in public transport
• Holding the door for someone
• Congratulating people on their achievement

Different situations demand that you behave according to that situations. Thus, manners too can be classified into different categories based on various situations. Telephone manners, table manners, professional manners are some of these situations. It is also important to note that manners or etiquette may also be influenced by culture and religion.

Some Examples of Table Manners

• Waiting until everyone has been served before eating.
• Not chewing with an open mouth.
• Asking others to pass a dish or a seasoning without leaning over the table.
• Not placing the elbows on the table while eating
• Knowing how to use the utensils

Manners, when practised for a long time, tend to be habits. For example, if you are taught from the childhood to be polite and courteous, showing good manners may become a habit.

Figure 2: Sending a thank you note for a person who helped you is good manners.

What is the difference between Good Habits and Good Manners?

Summary – Good Habits vs Good Manners

Habits are a recurrent pattern of behavior. Good habits refer to behavior that is beneficial to one’s physical and mental health. Good manners are polite or well-bred social behavior that makes a person appear courteous and polite. The key difference between good habits and good manners is that good habits are for the betterment of one’s own health whereas good manners are based on the consideration of the others in the society.

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