What is meant by behaviour

Behaviour is how we act or what we do in different situations, particularly towards other people. When we talk about appropriate behaviour, it means that we are acting well for the situation. 

Behaviour includes things like:

• How we talk to other people: like being polite, friendly and helpful. 
• What we talk about: the topics that we cover.
• How we dress: whether there is a uniform or dress code.
• The attitude we have towards what we are doing: including being on time and working hard.
• The values we demonstrate: like honesty, kindness, courageousness and many others.

Remember, that what is seen as ‘normal’ behaviour can be very different in different cultures or contexts.

Why behaving in the right way is helpful

There are some behaviours which are never appropriate but there are some behaviours which might be fine in some settings or cultures which are not acceptable in others. As some examples:

• We might dress differently at work or attending school or college to how we might dress with our friends or when taking part in sports activities. Some workplaces have uniforms you are expected to wear, and others might have a broader range of acceptable clothes.
• What we talk about might vary in different settings. With friends or family, you might be able to talk about anything and express your opinions freely and strongly. In school or a workplace, you have to be more careful to avoid upsetting or offending people. There might also be humour that you could share with friends you know well that you would not share with other people. ‍
• How we talk to people is likely to be different too. With friends, we are probably relaxed in our language but might use slang or other words that we use. In work or school, we might think more carefully about being polite.

How to adjust behaviour 

There are some behaviours which are never acceptable. These might include:

• Bullying someone. 
• Harassing or annoying someone. 
• Causing other people upset or distress. 
• Deliberately offending someone. 
• Breaking the law or persuading someone else to. 
• Putting ourselves or others in danger.

Whatever the setting, we should be careful to avoid these behaviours. You might find out about appropriate behaviour in the setting from:

• Rules that you are shown or told about.
• Customs or cultural practices that you learn about. 
• Seeing what other people do. 

Working out what is appropriate in new settings can take a little bit of time, and it is always worth starting carefully and relaxing a little bit more if you see that is acceptable later on.

In the end, the acceptable behaviours are all down to the values of where you are, and what is considered ‘normal’ there.