Non-Verbal Behaviors That Will Quickly Upgrade Your Life

You may now exit the plane

Most of you have probably seen this happen. Your plane has landed. You are waiting for the boarding dock to connect to the plane so that everyone can get off. It is completely full. Two dozen rows are in front of you.

The docking bay finally connects. The flight attendant announces across the speaker, “You may now start exiting the plane.” People stand up and begin filing off. The front row stands. They get their stuff from the overhead bin and walk off.

The second row stands up and does the same. It’s a simple wait-your-turn system. Kindergartners can understand it.
You are sitting and waiting. Finally, it’s almost your turn. The row in front of you starts standing and filing off. The man on the right side pauses.

Like a gentleman, he waits for the old lady on the other side of the aisle to go. Perhaps he helps her get her bag from the overhead bin, as I would hope any of us would. Now, it is your row’s turn. You gesture to the older lady on the other side.

She smiles, thanking you. She stands up and begins shuffling into the aisle. And just before she does, some idiot from the row behind you pushes past her without saying a word. He nearly knocks the old woman back down into her seat.

It’s one of the quickest ways to get judged by your peers. It says a person doesn’t value rules or other people’s time, that they don’t mind irritating an entire group of people. This brand of selfishness extends well beyond airplanes.