How to Differentiate Between Consideration & Courtesy

Consideration and courtesy are both good manners.

While most people probably would like to be known as both considerate and courteous, not many can actually describe the difference between these two things. Consideration and courtesy are similar; they both often involve acting in another person's best interest. Impress your friends with your genteel manners by learning to distinguish between consideration and courtesy.

Instructions

1. Learn the definition of consideration. According to the the Merriam-Webster website, consideration involves continuous and careful thought. This means that a consideration involves thinking over a number of different factors such as other people's feelings or capabilities and how these factors will affect one another. A consideration would be a matter taken into account when formulating an opinion or plan, so those feelings you are considering before making a decision would be called considerations. It could also be thoughtful and sympathetic regard, as in when you consider someone's feelings and make a decision in order not to offend. A consideration is an opinion formed by reflection.

2. Learn the definition of courtesy. The Oxford Dictionaries website defines courtesy as the showing of politeness in one's attitude and behavior towards others or a polite speech or action required by convention. Thus, basic manners would be courtesies. Most people can agree on the difference between polite gestures and rude gestures. Courtesies are actions that are conventionally perceived as polite.

3. Compare the definitions of consideration and courtesy. While consideration is situational, courtesy is conventional. This means that courteous actions are always polite, while considerate actions are polite only in the specific contexts in which they take place. For example, it would be courteous to serve your guests food if you have asked them to come to your house at suppertime. Everyone agrees that this would be the polite thing to do. It would be considerate of you to prepare a vegetarian dinner because you know that your guests do not eat meat. It is not always especially polite to serve guests vegetarian food; it is only polite in this instance because you have considered their personal preferences. Note that a considerate act is not necessarily a courteous one and a courteous act is not necessarily considerate. For example, if you had an overnight guests who was afraid of the dark, it would be considerate to leave a light on. In another situation, a guest who was not afraid of the dark may find the light irritating.

4. Create your own examples to illustrate the difference between consideration and courtesy. It is easier to remember definitions if you can think of several situations in which you can distinguish one from the other.

References

• Merriam-Webster: Consideration
• Oxford Dictionaries: Courtesy