--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever happened to courtesy? What can…" description: "\"Whatever happened to courtesy? What can be so urgent that you have to look down at your phone in the middle of a dinner conversation with people who ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/martin-cooper-6928_communication_whatever-happened-to-courtesy-what-can-b_1754094.jpg" --- # Whatever happened to courtesy? What can be so urgent that… ![“Whatever happened to courtesy? What can be so urgent that you have to look down at your phone in the middle of a dinner conversation with people who matter to you? You can't wait five minutes before staring at your phone?” quote by Martin Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/martin-cooper-6928_communication_whatever-happened-to-courtesy-what-can-b_1754094.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/martin-cooper-6928_communication_whatever-happened-to-courtesy-what-can-b_1754094.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/martin-cooper-6928_communication_whatever-happened-to-courtesy-what-can-b_1754094.jpg) > “Whatever happened to courtesy? What can be so urgent that you have to look down at your phone in the middle of a dinner conversation with people who matter to you? You can't wait five minutes before staring at your phone?” [Martin Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-cooper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote laments the loss of politeness, urging people to prioritize face‑to‑face interaction over immediate phone checking. **In simple terms:** Courtesy is fading; put phone away during meals. Key Takeaway Put phone away during meals. Themes etiquette technology relationships Mood reflective concerned Type observational social commentary When to use this quote - dinner gatherings - family meals - business lunches - social events Key Concepts mindfulness social presence Questions to Reflect On - How often do you check your phone during conversations? - What could you do instead? A Different Perspective It may be hard to resist urgent notifications. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Courtesy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courtesy/) [Courtesy Urgent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courtesy-urgent-1632437/) [Dinner conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner-conversation/) [Happened Courtesy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happened-courtesy-1632438/) [Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Who Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-who-matter/) [Phone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phone/) [Staring Phone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staring-phone-236902/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Wait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wait/) ## Related quotes > [Im staring at the phone because they say a watched pot never boils, and Im not ready for you to say good bye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-staring-at-the-phone-because-they-say-a-watched-pot-never-boils/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He’d hung up. 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