Civility with a modern twist

President Washington, welcome to the 21st century.

In a fascinating — and much needed — project, University of Virginia students are “updating” advice from the Father of our Country with guidance from etiquette maven Miss Manners.

UVa’s Civility Project is working to create a modern version of Washington’s personal list of social do’s and don’ts. He called it the “Copy of Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour In Company and Conversation.”

It’s a copy because he based it on an even older work dating to a 17th-century Jesuit school in France.

Talk about a conversation across the generations …

But, how would one translate George Washington’s advice on modesty into a modern world where virtually nothing is now viewed as private?

At least civility is once again of interest in modern America, said Judith Martin, who writes under the pen name of Miss Manners.

“ ‘Civility’ is no longer a humorous or ridiculous or snobbish word. It’s something that people long for, almost to the extent of being willing to behave civilly themselves — not quite, but almost.”

It’s the “not quite” that creates the need for an updated version of good manners for today’s reality.

Here’s hoping the UVa students come up with something that resonates with their generation, that carries the credibility to make a positive change.

Until their work is completed, though, readers might want to while away the time with one of Miss Manners’ own books — the intriguingly titled “Common Courtesy: In Which Miss Manners Solves the Problem That Baffled Mr. Jefferson.”