Individual pursuit of education is geared towards the development of the intellect and character of a person. In the early stages of educational studies, it is a must for the youthful minds to be trained and enhanced to prepare them as future contributors to growth and progress of the nation. Aside from knowledge gain, leadership and service will be at flaw when propriety in values is amiss.
Integrity makes a person whole. It is a quality that can be defined as being honest and fair to oneself and in dealing with others. It is important that learners give priority to develop integrity in their lives during the years of their youth. Tantamount to this discipline is the virtue of propriety. But where does the propriety of man truly reside? Is it in thoughts or in words? More than ever, it is reflected in our deeds. Our action is a manifestation of the propriety we carry. It is the showcase of our attitude and character in exemplifying correct social behavior.
To cite an example, when an appointment is set at 3 pm and the confirmation of coming has been made, arriving 30 minutes over 3 pm is not deserving of excuse. Being true to one’s word or promise is a measure of the propriety we have. In anticipation, we better look at our schedule first to see any conflict that will bar us to come on time. It is more polite to say no, rather than say yes that will turnout as a failure. Tardiness does not only pay the penalty of missing the initial part of an agenda, but the struggle inflicted to the early birds and the waste of productive time. Punctuality is a propriety standard. It is not only about being on time, it is basically about respecting one’s own commitment.
There is also the case of flip-flopping that can get one in tight situation when not properly handled. Flip-flopping is the sudden change in decisions that were made. It is not a matter of preference but another sign of degradation of one’s credibility. It goes something like this; one day one made a decision that was eventually concurred by the majority in a group. The decision was made official during the meeting but later the following day the one who made the decision suddenly took it back even the documents say otherwise. For the reason of flip-flopping the person concerned will slowly but surely lose the credibility among his peers. Better still if silenced was kept during the decision-making process rather than making the meeting a futile exercise.
There are a whole lot of things that really matter in our human dealings where propriety is needed to apply. Let each thought be filtered and screened to the purity of every intention. In words, let truthfulness and honesty emanate like a wing that brings good news and inspiration. Last but not the least let each of our action produce the fruit of propriety that we plant everyday in all of our relationship endeavors. Keeping .propriety at all times will not only make us a better person, but for others to do the same.
By: May-Ann D. Porsuelo |T-III | Bataan National High School | Balanga, Bataan
