HOLD THE DOOR
In the words of the lovable, yet verbally-limited Hodor from the hit HBO series Game of Thrones…
“Hodor.”
As was revealed later in the series, (spoilers) “Hodor” simply meant “Hold the door.” Although we’ll probably never experience the same situation that led to that being the only word he can say, holding the door for someone or having someone hold the door for us is something we encounter daily.
I’ve always tried to hold the door for the person behind me in almost any situation. This often leads to me being separated from my group or finding myself stuck letting a line of thirty people pass through while I stand there trying not to look frustrated. Of course, then there’s that awkward situation where you’re trying to be nice, so you hold the door for someone just a little too far behind you so they feel like they have to jog to the door and then everyone feels weird, and well, it is.
On the other hand, since becoming a parent, I’m surprised at how many people clearly see babies in a stroller, a person carrying boxes, or someone in a wheelchair behind them and almost intentionally let the door slam in the parent’s face.
The cue for this habit is self-explanatory: if someone’s behind you, hold the door for them. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man and they’re a woman or vice versa or if they’re older or younger than you. It’s something everyone can appreciate, and it makes us all just a little bit less of a jerk when we take moments out of our day to do nice things.
A little bonus tip I’ve figured out over the years: If you see a line of people behind you, make sure you go through the door before holding it or you’ll be stuck there all day. This sends the message that the next person should hold it for the person behind them and so on.
The exception to this habit is when you’re in a position where holding the door is either overwhelming or could injure you or someone else. If you see someone ahead of you carrying a heavy load or pushing a difficult stroller, jog ahead to open the door for them. Don’t be the dick who expects the person with their arms full of groceries to hold it for you. I know you’re out there and you’re a special kind of asshole.
Download a free copy of “The Essential Guide to Good F*cking Habits” at goodfuckinghabits.com/guide.
