Courteous people are empathetic---able to relate emotionally to the feelings of others.

They listen closely to what people say. They observe what's going on around them and register what they see.

Courteous people are flexible, willing to adjust their own behavior to the needs and feelings of others, while maintaining their integrity.

Courteous people are forgiving and understand that nobody is perfect. They would never embarrass or judge someone for a mistake in form, such as using the wrong fork or introducing people out of order. They don't keep an etiquette scorecard.