From that bastion of quality journalism, Sky:

A survey by etiquette authority Debretts found that 63 per cent of British women cited manners as the most important factor in their choice of a partner.

Only five per cent plumped for good looks, while 29 per cent favoured intelligence.

Forgive me, but I have never found manners to be the way to a lady’s heart. I’d like to think I’m a courteous guy. Not because I hope it will win a woman’s affection but because I am what I am. All I get is the occasioinal “aren’t you sweet?” or words to that effect.

It seems there’s more to this than meets the eye or else my idea of manners is drastically out of sync with Debretts’. Perhaps Irish and British women simply have different attitudes.

I knew it! The art that is workplace politics goes way back to our days as hairy apes.

On promotions, Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky references baboons:

Big sharp teeth and lots of muscle have tons to do with which males become high-ranking; social intelligence and impulse control have everything to do with which males remain high-ranking.

He also says the best way to minimise workplace tension is by having lots of small groups, meaning people can move from one to another if there’s some small conflict:

Among lots of hunter-gatherers, you don’t settle the fight with someone by punching it out. You go and hang with your cousins in the next valley for some time instead.