I inhaled this as a teen and Iām probably due for a reread. Etiquette isnāt about mindlessly adhering to stuffy arbitrary rules; itās about being considerate of other people and shaping the interactions you have with them with intent. This is the Bible of social skills, written with dry, darkly funny wit!
"Why do people keep asking Miss Manners what to say, in a social situation, when they are offered drugs? What ever happened to 'Yes, please' and 'No, thank you'?"
āAs successful people are afraid of being used, unsuccessful people are afraid of being snubbed, interesting people want to talk about something different from their jobs and boring people wonāt stop talking about their jobs.ā
āMiss Manners corrects only upon request. Then she does it from a distance, with no names attached, and no personal relationship, however distant, between the corrector and the correctee. She does not search out errors like a policeman leaping out of a speed trap. When Miss Manners observes people behaving rudely, she behaves politely to them, and then goes home and snickers about them afterward.ā
Feb 20, 2025
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mossyelfie LOLLL actually yes and imagine me just tweaking out appalled at the grime and scrubbing everything
mossyelfie while everyone was otherwise occupied of course couldnāt have them thinking I was judgmental of their space or impose myself in such a wayā¦
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An underrated memoir. Irreverent and gossipy, and affirming to the writer girlies who have a lot to say but worry theyāre not scholarly enough!!! (Specifically in its writing style, not the subject matter)
Jan 26, 2024
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Iām 48. When youāre young you can think things are corny. I donāt have that luxury anymore.Ā Some chapter titles:7. Donāt Interrupt Others or Finish Their Sentences12. Let Others be āRightā Most of The Time15. Be The First One to Act Loving or Reach Out25. Smile at Strangers, Look Into their Eyes and Say Hello27. Imagine The People in Your Life as Tiny Infants and as One-Hundred-Year-Old-Adults49. Resist the Urge to Criticize60. Turn Your Melodrama into a Mellow-DramaI have never been a fan of irony and never use it
Mar 29, 2022
I've rec'd this before. This book isn't about style or strategy. It's a rumination on what makes a strong sentences and instructs through how its written. Genuinely a pleasure to read.
My other rec is to read what you want to write. That is the best teacher.
Apr 15, 2024
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āLife shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.ā
ā AnaĆÆs Nin
This is uncharacteristically raw and personal, even for me, and pretty heavy! I know many of you have seen me posting through it and I feel safe to talk about it openly now that Iāve safely landed at the start of my new life. Itās honestly even a little bit embarrassing but I think itās important to share.
Iāve never publicly mentioned it on here, but I have a husband; as of Friday, weād have been together for 11 years, and weāve been married for 3 years as of 2/22. I realize now that I wanted to explore what I looked like outside of my relationship with him because I had lost that. This is why PI.FYI has been so meaningful to me as a space to express myself and connect with peopleāto rediscover my voice.
I had been living a lie this entire time, to others but worst of all to myself. Heās been verbally and emotionally abusive, physically but without touching me, to the point that every day I spent with him I was in danger. Iāve been shrinking myself and walking on eggshells to avoid making him insecure and provoking his casual put-downs and fits of rage, while hanging on for dear life to the threads of good I could see.
Iāve wanted so badly to leave, more than anything, but I felt like there was no way out and that this was just something I would need to endure indefinitelyābut someone who is so very dear to me helped me see that I have wings to fly, not by acting as my savior but by reminding me of my own power. The emotional safety they built and the gentle care they showed me made me feel like I could open up to them. With their encouragement I was brave enough to tell the truth to my friends, my family, my boss, and they have received me with warm, loving and open arms and rallied to support and protect me. The financial andĀ logistical aspects were the most intimidating to me and itās going to be tough for a while but Iām going to be better than okay!
Now Iām opening up to you. This isnāt the only abuse Iāve suffered in my life, and my old therapist told me she believed it was my mission to share my strength and light with others to inspire them and show them that change is possible.
I hope that by sharing this, I can reach even just one person who is going through something similar and show that they are not alone, and they are not weak. People with certain backgrounds may be more vulnerable to abuse, but it can happen to anyone. It thrives in darkness, shame, and isolationāand breaking that silence is the first step toward freedom.
Leaving is the scariest thing I have ever done but I have so many angels around me, and I am endlessly grateful. Thank you for being here with me š
Mar 16, 2025
My dad teases me about how when I was a little kid, my favorite thing to do when I was on the landline phone with somebodyābe it a relative or one of my best friendsāwas to breathlessly describe the things that were in my bedroom so that they could have a mental picture of everything I loved and chose to surround myself with, and where I sat at that moment in time. Perfectly Imperfect reminds me of that so thanks for always listening and for sharing with me too š
Feb 23, 2025
Schedule sent my resignation email for the morning, effective immediately ā
š
Feb 27, 2025