Yeah, it has come to the point now where you call your girl friends up after a date and say, "He was so polite; he pulled the chair out for me and everything!" when that used to just be the norm.

My dad still opens the car door for my mom everytime they drive, it's nice to see, not that my dad is all that curteous, he'll grab the last piece of chicken with a vengence, but atleast he tries, and it makes me feel like he still respects her after 25 years.

It makes me sad too :( I think those gestures are SO respectful, I love it & always appreciate it... Do you always hold open the door & pull out chairs for your lady MM?

MM, I think I love you.

THANK YOU! I hate it when girls do the whole "I am perfectly capable of opening the door myself!" thing. I always want to say, "Well, fine. I hope nobody ever does you a favor even again, since you're soooooo capable of doing everything yourself." Soon women are going to be bitching about how they don't need men to get pregnant when they are perfectly capable of doing it by themselves, and men only insist on helping because they doubt women's abilities. -__-

Chivalry isn't about men trying to show superiority over women, it's about men showing respect for women and by doing so acknowledging that they're equal.

"And the woman I gave up my seat for, who was now comfortable, was nodding and agreeing! Never again."

hahahhahaha

I'm a damn big feminist, but in the sense that I consider myself as intelligent and capable- if not more so- than the average man. However, I understand and love chivalry. I don't see it as an attempt to undermine me; it's simply a form of respect.

My boyfriend is only 18 (as am I) but he was raised as a gentleman. He'll take off my coat for me. He'll open doors. He'll carry books. He'll give up his seat. And I see and know of MANY guys (some who you wouldn't suspect at first glance) who are just as chivalrous.

Maybe it's because I live in the South (Houston, TX), but chivalry is definitely not dead.

Some of the older forms of chivalrous acts have fairly silly explanations (like which side of the sidewalk a man/woman is supposed to walk on). Some acts of chivalry are just guys trying to be nice or show good manners/proper upbringing. I'm all for equality and all kinds of rights, but that doesn't mean I can't see a nice gesture for a nice gesture, or good manners for good manners (lots of fun facts there too).

I don't see why you'd be mean to someone who's trying to be nice when it's so hard to come across nice people. Personally, I can live without chivalry, I like to offer to pay my share of a bill (whether I'm out with friends or on a date) because it's the "right thing to do" and don't see the point in opening doors or letting women into a room first.

When my friends do any of these (and bless them, they're just wonderful people and everything they do proves it), I chuckle at how unnecessary some of these gestures are. I don't think they're being stupidly impractical, or, worse, trying to insult me somehow. For all I care, they're just honoring my belief that they're the nicest guys in existence. Thinking any of these sweet gestures are demeaning makes it look like you're just looking for something to be mad at.

I agree that most chivalrous gestures are meant to show respect, not patronize anyone. I do find it hilarious whenever I open a door (because I am the first person to reach the door) and the guy seems completely perplexed, but I'm not the sort of person to stop in front of a door until someone opens it for me. (I have met a few girls like that though.) If I hang out with the guy enough and he continues to be perplexed by my behavior, then I make a point of slowing down... because seriously who wants to fight over opening the door???

One time there was this guy who used to fight me over every possible chivalrous gesture, which was kinda ridiculous... it's one thing to do something nice for someone else, but to force it to that extent just becomes rather annoying. (He also "Yes, Ma'am"; "No, Sir"ed everyone.. it's probably because he is a deeply religious army brat.)

I have also had to learn to stop fighting my guy friends who wanted to buy me drinks when we're hanging out... unless I want to have a half hour argument over who gets to pay for drinks. (Sometimes they'd just overrule me anyway with the bartender :( ) I just feel guilty that they are buying my alcohol because I am female without allowing me to reciprocate, so now I'm just having to be more creative about how I try to reciprocate... (Such as bringing cookies/dessert) I still feel a bit guilty though, and that's annoying...

I love that quote MM!

Chivalry didn't died, it just evolved with the times, as did everything else.

My man is very chivalrous and would be more so but I was brought up to be a very independent woman and am bullheaded and don't always consider the fact that he is showing me love and respect; my initial idea is that I don't need to be taken care of.

So it is my own fault, but I am working to better myself in that aspect and more politely accept his generosity!

I love it when men do the little things. It just shows they are considerate enough to think that there might be something they can do to make you happy or comfortable in some small way. It's almost like it's called consideration if a woman does it for anyone, and chivalry if a man does it for a woman. It's all the same idea. Be thoughtful. I'd open a door for him if I got there first (and I'm well aware that he can open the door himself) and it would make me smile if he did the same.

I'm really into chivalry, and my guy is very respectful.. he wants to pay all the time, "because it's the way it's supposed to be.."! But I'm the one earning money (he's right at the end of a thesis, so keeps on writing without doing almost anything else..) , so it kinda bothers me that he pays all the time..so I have to kind of make deals with him, so I can pay at least a bit, as we do go out a lot... (I'm paying for coffee, but you pay the tickets for the cinema, and I'll pay for popcorn kinda stuff) I just try to not make him feel diminished because of this..

I'm not saying that chivalry has died but if we as women have fought for equal rights then we also need to learn that it's okay to open our own doors too. A man shouldn't have to do it for us. Then again if he does we shouldn't complain that we can do it ourselves. We should be able to thank them and just walk through the door.

A couple of days ago, i opened the door to go inside my class, i held the door so some people could come through, some people didn't even say thank you or anything, once they were in i was still holding the door and right in front of me was one of my guy friends, i waved my hand telling him he could go in, but he just shook his head and held the door for me to go in. God, maybe i'm old-fasioned but it made my day.