Bad manners
Sir: In Michael Lewis's article on American Anglophobes (17 August) most of his examples of British bad manners expose the British upper middle class as the offenders. I believe British bad manners are not universal throughout the popula- tion but are indeed principally confined to the public school educated upper middle classes who dominate the professional class and thus are our most prominent ambas- sadors.
But why on earth should this be so? Other countries' professional classes are not similarly afflicted. One could say that very many British people in the professions have never really had to sell themselves or their services, never really had to compete on price and never really had to worry about being negligent, and that this has led to sloppy inefficiency and a dearth of 'cus- tomer-care'. But this, although I think true, could also be said of professionals in other countries and, in any case, although a cause of Lewis's Anglophobia, is not a cause of bad manners.
Lewis quotes Edmund Wilson extolling a principal ingredient of good manners as `to show people consideration'. To show peo- ple consideration entails caring about their welfare and about how they feel; these are not natural attributes, they have to be taught. But, and I think this is the key, the British public school system militates against such fine feelings. A hothouse, sin- gle-sex (until comparatively recently), com- petitive environment, separated from the real world (foreigners, women and those from other classes) inevitably generates a lack of regard, an aloofness and a lack of sensitivity towards others.
Anthony Marshall
60 Hazledene Road, London W4
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