They were “famously good”, said fellow dramatist Patrick Marber, and “even courtly”, added theatre critic Nick Curtis. Actors remembered a man who was “very kind” (Tom Hollander), and “clever and kind” (Harriet Walter), while the writer Harry Mount devoted an entire article to “the extraordinary manners of the late Tom Stoppard”. Apologies, or the lack of them, are another baffling aspect of office manners. Another example of good manners helping the good mannered is the simple, cheap, yet inordinately effective act of saying thank you. Ultimately, good manners add to the sum of human happiness, while rudeness does the opposite.

Source: The Irish Times December 08, 2025 11:01 UTC