#4. Formality
Democracy and anti-elitism have led to the growth of informality in recent years. This has been accelerated by the egalitarian tendencies of the Internet ā or at least by the egalitarian ethos of internet start-ups. However, the global recession has created a counter-trend. Seriousness is back in vogue and older people have started to dress smarter in a vain attempt to keep their jobs. This formality has trickled down to younger individuals, especially those concerned with getting or keeping a professional career. To some extent this trend is cyclical, but it is also connected with an interest in tradition, craft and artisan skills. Another accelerant is popular revulsion at yobbish culture, especially in the UK.
Implications
A resurgence in manners, formal dining and bespoke menswear. Also watch-out for a resurgence in period drama, books about the Victorians and traditional Sunday roasts.
Is it your opinion, good sir, that there will be a resurgence of interest in the niceties of etiquette and the more formal modes of diplomatic speech?
Yes indeed. This is obviously not as strong as the informality/casual trend but it’s an interesting counter-point. As for diplomatic speech I’m not 100% sure what you mean?
Diplomatic speech is the art of using careful circumlocutions and euphemisms to step delicately through conversational minefields, though hazarding the obfuscation of actual meaning. Short, blunt words get the job done, but may piss off some.
(Yes, Iām having fun playing with language here.)
That’s roughly what I thought but you put it so much better š I think both will be true. Casualization on the one hand and formality on the other. So it will bifurcate (or is that polarize?).
It may become an explicit social mode, much like party invitations specifying the expected attire.