As Caroline and I discussed modern chivalry for this week’s episode of FabulosiTEA, the conversation turned swiftly to feminism: is chivalry “benevolent sexism”, as the Telegraph claims?

…No. Well it can be. There’s a context for everything. But we agreed that if you take the gender roles out of chivalry and apply its code to women as well as men, it’s all good. Chivalry is a fancy way of saying “courtesy” or “politeness”. 

As for incorporating chivalry into our own lives, there’s one simple way to get started:

Step aside.

You know that awkward urban dance, where you’re walking down the sidewalk, and someone is walking towards you? Someone usually elbows their way by, but I make a point to be the one to step aside. This can take 1-10 seconds of your time, depending on circumstances. We all have that to spare, right? Once on a busy London street, after employing this chivalrous tactic, a lady’s face lit up in surprise and beamed a thank you. Usually stepping aside is enough to earn a smile, and to me, that’s worth a few extra seconds.

Tune in for more chivalry debate [Here for iTunes!]:

How do you incorporate chivalry into your daily life?