The Perfect Gentleman Issue 1 - March 2016 | Page 22

Mannered Gentleman

The Art of the Thank You Note
The Thank You note is an important arrow in
the quiver of any Gentleman. It used to be
traditional that any time someone was given a
present, invited to an event, or was a guest at
another person's house, they would express
their thanks with a well written note, or letter.
While the practice seems to have slipped
somewhat in its overall usage, the increasing
novelty makes it stand out even more.
There are three elements to the Thank You
note that make it stand out in today's
increasingly technology dominated world.
Firstly, receiving a letter through the post that
is not a bill or bank statement is still a lovely
experience: having something to physically
hold in your hand; looking at the post mark to
try to work out where it was sent from, and
from there deduce who might have sent it;
trying in vain to recognise the handwriting;
ripping open the envelope, sliding out the
letter, and unfolding it to reveal the note
inside. The whole process is charming.

Opening up the letter, you find that (whether
their penmanship is particularly good or not)
the sender has made the effort to hand write
the note to you. This is also special for its rarity
value. Almost all of the communications that
we receive today are typed, either on a
computer or on a phone, so having a hand
written message adds to the feeling of
importance of the message contained, and
makes it feel much more personal as a result.
Even without these first two elements, the
thought that someone has made the effort to
thank you with a letter, instead of a quick
email, call or text, means that they are truly
appreciative, and want to express it in a more
permanent, meaningful way.

by Ruairidh Bulger
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