Who has better manners British or Americans?

This is like asking how old is a policeman? Manners are very relative and very broad. The British have a longer history and therefore on paper might be better mannered but as in all societies it depends on the person himself.

Manners are a discussion on which hundred of books have been written, and it all depends individually what are for you manners? Are we talking of politeness, are we talking how you speak, how you eat, what falls under manners?

I know for a fact that both in the United States of America and in Great Britain you will find people that are excellent mannered as much as you will find hooligans. Both countries have different standards of manners but in both countries you will find everything.

Let us not forget that Americans are mainly Europeans that always had manners and are integrated after so many generations into a system. Apart the Indians in fact British and French were the first invaders of the United States that fought wars.

One needs to know when to use good manners and when to use common sense. Let us take an example of the Titanic disaster, where more British passengers died because of their good manners compared to the pushy Americans. The British have rigid adherence to social conventions and the stiff upper lip mentality. While the British were saying saving women and children first, the Americans were trying to save their lives first, which was more important than doing the right thing.

The British have under their wording of manners a deeper sense and have certain traditions that Americans do not have but this does not mean better manners. The British will have their afternoon tea in a specific way but this is tradition. Their politeness is well known and the way they speak and eat as well. In Britain here are deep roots on how to hold a fork and knife and how to eat, but once again these are traditions.

While the Americans are world oriented and know about the world, the British believe only in Britain and are squarer in their thoughts. The British in fact keep a tight rein on their emotions and facts lurk just below the surface that is why they need more manners. The violence in football shows an image of a majority of British and so one asks what happened to the manners of the British? This kind of violence is unknown in sports in the United States.

Table manners are also different the British eat holding a knife and fork at the same time which is more efficient than the American way which is to switch between utensils which is more refined.

So to conclude I would say that manners on both sides depend more on the people themselves than the country of origin.