Titles of Respect
Duane, over at the Black Informant, has some points worth considering regarding children addressing adults with titles of respect.
Two things happen when a child uses a courtesy name when addressing an adult. The first thing I have already covered (brings a visual example of authority in the life of a child). The second point is just as important: It provokes adults to carry themselves as adults. We live in an age where “grown folks” want to enjoy the privileges of adulthood without accepting its responsibilities. When an adult hears their name being preceded by a courtesy title, there is something in them that loudly reminds them of these responsibilities. It reminds us that we have to live our lives in a way that would make it easy for the child to associate the title with the adult. In other words, it would be very difficult for a child to address a 40 year old man as “Mister” if this man carries himself as a teenager (and we have plenty examples of that). Unfortunately, many of us interpret this loud reminder as just a sign that we are getting old. Guess what? You are! But that is only part of the message.
Read the whole thing here.
And I agree.
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Comment by testanchor618 — October 16, 2005 @ 3:32 am