Society can be a very vague word in it’s definition, it can either have meaning that implies a lot or very little. Unless you are a hermit living inside a cave, in one form or another, the overwhelming majority of the human population are part of what makes up a society. This is why we need to define fine society in particular, and why it is considered fine, or among the top echelons, compared to the rest of society, and why it makes the rules for all others to play by. In other countries, the term best society or fine society typically correlates with the oldest aristocracy in that particular country, where it does not matter as much whether a person is of a certain nobility or educational background, which might essentially also mean newly established members of this tribe, but rather, those families who have been locally known for their consistency in excellence as well as the cultivation of proper manner and decorum, a “comes from a good family” sort of ordeal.
In America, the fine society is likened to social settings where these families and individuals are judged not by the longevity of their loyalty to the old aristocracy, but rather having the most extensive exposure. Despite the typical American notion that aristocracy almost always correlates with a high level of material wealth, the most fundamental aspect of an aristocratic and fine society is that of the cultivation of good manners, habits, mind and spirit. This is what sets it apart from the rest who often struggle in the battle between good and evil on a daily basis, so much so that cultivating good manners is not only not within their purview due to the toxic ramblings of those around them, but also because it is economically unviable and socially unwise to assume everyone is a gentlemen who approaches you with the best of intentions.
To the general masses, the synonymous mental connection one draws out of habit between that of fine society and a high powered position or salary range, is only theoretical and a common cultural bias perpetuated by the mass media as well as the ludicrous portrayals in cinema and other forms of pop culture.
While it can be said that it is true that fine society is statistically wealthier than the bulk of humanity, and it is true that they hold vast amounts of money and assets, probably a sizeable amount compared to their more normal kinsmen, whose tendency to live a flashy lifestyle and flaunt their wealth will always mesmerize the masses, where the masses could only dream and then die in obscurity as it seems as if their individual contributions are meaningless in comparison. And yet, those who are of a refined manner, yet are not as wealthy, tend to leave a more noticeable mark on history than the distinction of those who are purely wealthy yet unrefined. Most people prefer to forget tyrants after their passing, while the noble and righteous will be forever celebrated, like a favorite family member.
Likewise, a product that is vehemently advertised by a company might not necessarily be the best, rather, they would have a greater budget to spend pushing it where the public assumes just because it’s exposure is widespread, it must be of a superior quality to all. A false syllogism, nonetheless. Just because someone is wealthy and they have money to spend advertising themselves, to pay a public relations company to spread their image, and can be seen as one of the leaders of society, it does not mean they belong to fine society. Their monopolization over the channels that lead to fame does not make them equitable. They might also belong to academia or a high powered position that isn’t business oriented but rather one of knowledge and learning, like a scientist, a politician or a lawyer, and may not represent the idea of fine society so much so in that instead of being praised for their reputation of being refined, spiritually enlightened individuals, they are praised for their achievements in their particular field, but their character and public portrayal could be of a burlesque nature.
HOW TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN FAKERS AND THE REAL DEAL
New York, more so than any other city on the planet, excluding Paris, is one of those places where people yearn to be impressed, to experience the next big thing, to be entertained and to live through adrenaline pumping situations, to be awed and inspired, to see beauty as well as the beast, and is willing to reward anyone who is able to provide this experience. One must not think that this is too unobtainable, as there are those willing, intelligent and creative enough to achieve it, all that would be need it is a sparkling mind, to be uniquely spirited, a great sense of humor and to know how to entertain that it would amount to comedical genius, as well as a golden character that is unwavering in the face of different situations.
As America can be a puritan and nitpicky society, the demands are always unreasonable and include birth, manners and cultivation, but also money, and therefore this nitpicky and impossible standard only allows for mishaps where the clown is mistaken for the king. In particular, a city like New York will often chew out talent who may never get to see fine society simply due to the fact that they become too rugged to be refined and go back to their natural, raw form. A refined form is processed, and processed doesn’t always mean unhealthy.
And to see fine society it is not confined to any city, country, race or religion, to any social and economic class, rather more like a brotherhood of sorts, instead of an exclusive club of royalty.
It is a joinable organization by all who possess the qualities required of them, that would make them fine, and alas, and therefore is a worldly, international and transhumanist society, letting in all those who are cultivated not only in manners but in manner.
Manners themselves consist of many small and easily memorable rules that all together one does not need to remember them, rather, the gist or spirit of what they are trying to portray. Then it will be easier to improvise once one has a foundation. This also means that manner becomes habit, and is often a reflection of our personality, good tastes and ethical viewpoints, and therefore no extra effort needs to be exerted in the presentation of the manners which would come naturally due to our interior, private selves.
A gentleman is one who is never vulgar or coming on too strong in any case, but also not totally docile or passive in such a way he allows others to trample on his fine self, as a fine person is not impulsively and instinctively drawn to act in such a way, no matter the reason. A person who has manners that can easily show his true horrid self is one that is not congruent with the manners he is trying to portray, as it is easy to rouse him and the mask shall briefly fall off, revealing the faker underneath, and revealing the ghastly tomfoolery that resulteth therefore.
Central to etiquette is a solid foundation of ethics and ethical reasoning as simply the presentation of the manners in and of themselves is not sufficient to provide proof of concept of a refined individual. It is more important to cultivate one’s actual reality as opposed to the illusion we want to present to strangers and friends alike. This is refinement that is truthful, and not only a buildup of a surrogate that is thinly veiled. Then knowing etiquette is essential to cultivating one’s behavior, as wearing clothing is essential to preserving one’s decency and dignity in our modern society. In order for the character of the person to reflect that these manners are real to the observer who is keen on summing up his subject’s persona, they must become part of a person’s being as to not take conscious effort to exert, refined manners only can come from a refined individual, otherwise they are mutually exclusive and cannot co-exist peacefully as the conscious effort will reveal discrepancies.
Fine society is not comprised solely of those who possess exorbitant amounts of material wealth and is not an exclusive brotherhood in this sense, rather it is meant to be a fellowship of gentle-folk, of which practice the proper formulation of speech that is pleasant to speak and hear, to try to emanate with charisma as opposed to willful repugnance, who are aware of social norms, order, cues and oddities, as well as empathetic to the feelings, needs and thoughts of others enough to respond efficiently, without offense, and through this fine society is what typically distinguishes the truly refined individual.