Essay on “Bend Rather than Break” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Bend Rather than Break

Outline: Introduction – breach of etiquette – a parlour incident – radio – at full blast – other things that annoy me – conclusion.

There are certain occurrences in one’s daily life that cause much annoyance. I am by nature a very sensitive person and I shall mention some of the things that exasperate me.

What are those things that get on my nerves? When someone breaks the rules of etiquette I get upset. I am annoyed when at a party the person sitting next to me pours his tea or coffee in the saucer and drinks it with a gurgling sound. There are some who soil their fingers while eating and then they lick them up clean with a smack of the tongue. Some others crunch their food while eating, or gulp down soup with a sonorous sound like the grunt of a pig. Spreading the mouth all over with bits of greasy food or blowing one’s nose into a serviette or drinking from a finger bowl indicate utter ignorance of table manners. These clumsy habits are a source of annoyance to a fastidious man.

Once when entertaining a group of visitors in my parlour to a pleasant conversation, there was one among us who went on tapping his left foot on the floor so vigorously that it set my teeth on edge, and I had to exercise great self-control, because he was my guest.

‘Love thy neighbour as thyself’ is a dictum so often repeated but rarely acted upon. My neighbour over there shows scant consideration for his fellowmen in the neighbourhood. He has frequently frayed my temper by switching on his radio at full blast for hours on end much against the loud protestations of the neighbours around.

I am annoyed when I see people littering cigarette butts about in a drawing room, when ash-trays are within their reach. Equally irritating is the sight of a picture frame or a photograph hung carelessly on a wall out of its angle. Nothing exasperates me more than to find things on the writing-desk or on the dressing table misplaced. Being meticulous about these things, I expect an article that is removed to be replaced in exactly the same position as it was in. I get into a tantrum when I see an ink bottle, a sugar container, a toothpaste tube, or a wardrobe kept open. 

Experience has taught me to put up with the things that annoy me. What cannot be cured must be endured. People are not going to change and give up their habits to please me. So I must change and learn to tolerate the exasperating things around me.

Difficult Words: Etiquette – rules of good behaviour. serviette – a cloth spread over the knees while eating. fastidious – too careful about small and unimportant things. set my teeth on edge – upset my nerves. dictum – saying. littering-scattering carelessly about. meticulous – very careful about small things.