Emily Post Probably Had an Uncomfortable Life

I don't know much about Emily Post's latter days, but if I was a betting man, I would probably guess that she was almost crazy by the time she died. Emily Post is best known for her "Rules of Etiquette" book where she documents how to interact in society properly. The book goes from how to introduce people, to greetings, to even proper pronunciations. There is one chapter that even goes so far as to tell you how to say what a song is named.

She says "NEVER say ' a song entitled' instead use 'a song called'"

In my opinion being this much of an expert may cause insanity. Can you imagine going to a party with Emily and people are there just to have a good time? I would imagine that initially when she went to parties that she would be constantly correcting her friends behaviors until one day they had to pull her aside and say, "Look Emily, we think you are awesome and your proper manners training is pretty cool, but if you tell me one more time that the spoon on the left is for ice cream or whatever, I am going to give you a lesson in boxing ring etiquette!"

So after that, Emily probably politely agreed to keep her mouth shut and in her head she was critiquing everyone's every move. It probably had life closing in on her every day. So that brings me to a question.

Are experts in certain areas constantly annoyed but others lack of knowledge or even lack of concern? Does a political expert cringe every time he or she listens to the radio and hear commoners comment on the political process and have no earthly idea what they are talking about? I think about this the same way every time I watch Chef Gordon Ramsey on Hell's Kitchen or Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares. I have seen him go into restaraunts and taste the chef's best recipe and vomit into a nearby trash can. Then I think how inadequate his wife must feel every night that she volunteers to cook for a man with such a sensitive palate. I can see him forcing the food down and keeping a straight face while saying, "No baby, it tastes fine!"

Seems like such a miserable existance to be the expert. Simon Cowell has to endure terrible singing every week. The character on House, Dr. House is an expert diagnostic physician who is constantly annoyed at everyone's lack of perception.

So I think that if Emily Post was alive today and turned on her television to watch Flavor of Love, or A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, she would be very upset, sick even at the total lack of manners. She would probably kill herself, but she would be polite enough to take a bottle full of aspirin, dress appropriately and lay down neatly on the bed before she expired. God forbid she leave a mess for the ones who discovered her body to clean up-- that would just be rude.