Day 7 - Is Chivalry dead? I’ve grown up with chivalry being a desired characteristic, always praised and appreciated. Being a “gentleman” was probably one of the best things a man could be. My father has always treated mum and I as ladies and those patterns have been cemented in my memory. I think it’s no wonder how surprised I was by hearing, in my adulthood, that chivalry is old-fashioned, dead, inappropriate and more. “Women are completely capable of opening doors and pulling chairs”, some argue. Of course they are! Anyone in perfect health conditions is. Nonetheless, chivalry has nothing with it, it’s about respect and self-sacrifice. It’s about demonstrating through small gestures that you respect the person next to you, so that you sacrifice a little bit of your time to behave courteously. The conduct is commonly associated with men, but you certainly don’t need to be one to hold the door of the lift, allow someone to go before you or offer to help to carry heavy things. In a word of “good arguments”, I’d rather be a person of good actions. If one feels somewhat diminished because someone is kindly opening a door, what does it say about the person’s own view of themselves? On the other hand, if you think the people around you don’t deserve the seconds it’d take to hold the lift’s door, what does it say about you?