I call my self A Gentleman Traveller, but the other day I was rather irked by someone when they suggested that a gentleman is determined how they dress, what they wear, how they look etc etc etc basically la de dah bull shit….This made me actually rather angry and made me think a bit so here I am back again to address this utter fallacy.
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines a gentleman as being chivalrous, courteous or honourable. The only part of that which I disagree with is the ‘or’ the OED got that wrong the ‘or’ needs to be replaced with an ‘&’, so there you have it the triforce of what it is to be a gentleman. No where does it define a gentleman as to what they wear, it’s about who they are that matters, how they act and how they treat others.
I think that over the years we have forgotten what it is to be gentleman, we have forgotten the base of it, the very core of the word. Anyone can be a gentlemen it doesn’t matter on where you come from, how you look, what you wear, which car you drive or not, where you live or what you do none of that matters because its how you behave, act in life and treat others that matters and defines you as a gentleman.
I don’t think it matter on your sex, race, creed or sexual orientation, we can all act in a gentlemanly manner doesn’t matter of any of the above. It’s not something you’re born into its not a title that you can buy it’s who you are.
Sure it used to be 200 years ago in the UK, but just like other things it evolved (don’t mention that word around those crazy creationists) to meaning the above.
I guess I could go on an overtly angry rant about now but I think it would be as point less as Michael Bloomberg’s recent run to be President of the USA, only I don’t have half a billion to burn on a pointless endeavour. So simply I won’t and will leave it at that, if you have any thing to say on this matter please comment down below.
