Psychology can be a very hard field to study. Even though the human experience is collective, each individual person goes through their own trials and tribulations and has their own unique essence which makes it hard to generalize. However, psychologists usually find common points of comparison to help put us into categories. This is exactly what journalist Lachlan Brown did after observing that there were some personality traits in common amongst those that, when they went out for a meal, tried to help waiters when clearing the table.
He collected his thoughts and findings in an article for Global English Editing, where we find those traits collected and explained and it really does give an insight on human behavior.
The personality traits that those who help in restaurants have in common
First and foremost we would like to point out that being polite to waitstaff is important and the baseline for all of these behaviors. Just because someone’s job is to serve you it does not mean that you can treat them with contempt or disrespect, but these individuals go a bit beyond that standard by actually helping the waiter do their job.
So, without further ado, these are the personality traits they have in common:
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Respectful
It is the most obvious one and we have already gone through the most basic tenants of respect that patrons need to have towards waitstaff, but this goes a bit beyond as we have explained, and it shows that the patrons have the self-awareness to know that they find themselves in an environment where manners are not just expected but greatly appreciated.
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Conscious of their actions
These patrons are particularly self-aware and usually the type to try to alleviate the burden by helping waitstaff in general, especially when there is an incident like a spilled glass. They are usually the first ones to jump into action to clean the mess or help personnel by offering up their napkins and then expressing their gratefulness for the quick actions of staff.
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Disciplined
Making an effort to collect the plates and arrange them in a way that is easy to transport and that makes sense for staff, especially if they know what they are doing, shows a level of discipline and a willingness to do the right thing that is not as common as it should be in today’s society. It also shows a willingness to adhere to your own principles and to not bow down to society’s expectations as well as a marked interest in productivity. Helping out makes everything go faster and smoother.
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Detailed oriented
While this can be seen as a negative personality trait, in this case it suggests a willingness to maintain both individual and collective spaces neat and tidy. With attention being in the details, these types of patrons tend to have high standards in their personal and professional lives and appreciate a job well done.
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Empathetic and highly emotionally intelligent
Being a service worker is hard, that is undeniable. It is an often thankless job that is not recognized by the industry or by society, so being one of he few people that see it for the task that it is and that recognized the efforts that those workers put in makes you empathetic and highly emotionally intelligent not just in this setting, but in life in general. It also shows a willingness to step into someone’s shoes.
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Self-assured
It can be easy to be swayed by outside opinions. While it could seem like helping clear the table after a meal is done more for outside praise than just manners, it is the other way around. Society expects us to leave the plates and be waited on, so subverting that expectation by helping is a sign of moral integrity and self-assuredness.