Valentine's Day 2013: Chivalry Isn't Dead, It's Just Different

Culture

Pundit Jane Reynolds asks whether chivalry is dead in the modern age. With Valentine's Day Thursday, chivalrous acts may climb in numbers for the day, but Reynolds says chivalry still exists, just in a different way than it used to. 

I think I collided with my coworker inside of doorways about five times before I realized that he wasn't going to hold the door for me.

Hailing from the South, but finding myself transplanted to New England for college and then Manhattan to pursue my dreams of becoming a writer (cliché, I know), I was brought up to expect "gentlemanly" manners: Men open doors for women, men walk on the street-side of the sidewalk, and men always pay for dates.

But as I've learned from my coming-of-age moves and experiences, this chivalrous behavior can be nearly impossible to come by outside of the realm of my childhood. While my grandmother, who is still desperately trying to find me a golf-playing, God-fearing, blue-eyed husband, and even some of my friends, would argue that a lack of these manners is a deal breaker, I disagree. Sure, it was a bit shocking at first, but I'm fine with a weaker grasp on social graces as long as men respect me. Fortunately, I find that most of my male peers do. I've realized that chivalry isn't dead, it's just different.

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