That is, how to become a gentleman in our times

Fashion is what everyone does, style is what you do. Glenn o’Brien

“Gentleman” is a term that might seem obsolete but that has recently acquired a new modernity and a current relevance: what is the best way to be a man? Is there a “code of conduct” to refer to in order to deal correctly with the situations we are faced with on a daily basis?

The gentleman’s code, which began its history in the Middle Ages and comes to us today deprived of all its more eccentric and obsolete parts, provides us with a series of golden rules for those who want to be a true modern gentleman:

1) A gentleman is reason personified, he is understated and does not get nervous.

A gentleman knows etiquette well, so it’s easy for him to improvise even in uncomfortable situations, like a heated debate.

2) A gentleman is not lazy

Inertia, indifference and disinterest, are undoubtedly present in all of us, but must be driven back, leaving room for spirit of initiative and readiness of both intellectual and physical reflexes.

3) A gentleman is humble

If it is true, as we often hear it said, that we are in the age of vainglory, fertilised and pushed by social media, then humility, combined with the awareness of your own potential, is the only weapon to fight it and must always be present in the behaviour of the modern gentleman.

4) A gentleman follows the ethics of reciprocity

That is an ethical code on the basis of which everyone has the right to a fair treatment and the duty and responsibility to ensure justice for others. That is also called the golden rule. What better remedy than this to the rampant daily narcissism, compared to which a gentleman must be able to make a difference?

We live in a mean-spirited time, to which the modern gentleman must respond with humour, sensitivity and intelligence, knowing how to turn the most uncomfortable situations to its advantage. And in this, the gentleman’s code provides us with a solid base from which to start.