My brother has a set of laws that cover almost every topic, and all of these laws are known as "The Kevin
Costner Law of ." There is the Kevin Costner Law of Road Building. It states: "If you build it, they will come."
In the area where my brother builds roads, people regularly try to take new expressways before they are even
finished or open. New highways are regularly over capacity the day they open. My brother takes that one statement
and applies it to all sorts of incongruous situations. It is one of his standard jokes. The Kevin Costner Law of
Urban Sprawl. The Kevin Costner Law of Adult Bookstores. Etc. The statement can be used to apply to almost
anything.
There is another law dealing with the human condition that is flexible. This law got its name from a sixteenth
century banker named Sir Thomas Gresham. Gresham formulated a theory now widely known as Gresham's Law stated in
shorthand as: "Bad money drives out good." This translates as, if there are two types of money trading equally,
and one is externally worth more than the other, the more valuable will be taken out of circulation. Many wags
have extended Gresham's Law beyond economics in the ensuing four hundred years. Gresham's Law of Company: Bad
company will drive away your good friends. I once read an article about Gresham's Law applied to language by Fr.
Hal Stockert where he detailed how the inexact use of words drives out the ability to properly discuss an issue.
Another article I saw discussed Gresham's Law of Activists. The use of Gresham's Law that concerns me most is in
the area of manners.
Gresham's Law of Manners: Bad manners drive out good manners. It seems difficult these days to go anywhere without
stumbling across the unmannerly. We have developed a culture where good manners are no longer valued. Not only
is it as acceptable to be rude as mannerly, but also being rude seems to be more highly regarded. Our "role
models" in popular culture's media thrive on being rude. Rudeness is great for those who are being rude, but what
about those who wish to retain good manners? Rude people do not respond well when confronted with good manners.
They respond no better when confronted with rudeness, but it makes the confronter feel better to give a little
back. In this sense, rudeness is cathartic for the rude. Thus do we have Gresham's Law of Manners running rampant
in our culture. Beyond an infinite spiral into the depths of rudeness, are there alternative courses we may
follow to combat bad manners?
Looking at the economic version of Gresham's Law may help clarify the situation. The point of this law is that if
there is a disparity in two currencies being treated as if they were equal, the more valuable of the two will take
flight. Technically there is more information related to the money supply that does not apply to manners. Either
good or bad manners are available in infinite quantity. The thing to focus on is that Gresham's Law applies where
there is a disparity, but both currencies are treated equally. In this case, although good manners are generally
credited with being more valuable, both good and bad are currently treated equally, or even worse, bad manners are
treated better than good. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and rudeness is the squeak. Being rude is rewarded.
To reverse the trend and bring good manners back is simple: reward good manners and punish rudeness.
This reward for good and punishment of bad manners used to be expected in our country until all of this cultural
relativism gained currency. Already there are signs of a swing toward restoring the gold standard of behavior in
the most unlikely of places. Yes, the tide has broken within the American institution most known for rudeness: the
airport. Try indulging in rudeness in an airport today, and you'll find your air rage diminished by jail time.
This is what we need to do with rude people. We need to punish rudeness. Likewise, we need to reward good manners
and encourage them. Deciding to follow this course as a society is the only thing that will stem the course of Gresham's Law of Manners.
F. B. Knight is Curmudgeon-in-Residence at the Attila the Hun School of Management. He can be reached for questions at
fbk@attilathehunschool.net.
