by David D. Horowitz
A centerfielder dives to snare a sinking line drive. A fry cook flips an egg five feet above his grill yet does not break the golden yolk as it lands on his spatula. Physical grace is gracefulness—skillful execution despite rapidity, pressure, or obstacles.
A teacher suggests to an insecure student that his research efforts “could stand some improvement” and then offers him a bibliography of reading material. A young woman tells a suitor whose advances she resists: “I’m flattered but I’ll pass on your dinner invitation. Thank you for asking, though.” Placed in a position of potentially wounding another’s feelings or denying one’s own, social grace allows one to blend self-assertion and tactful courtesy. Social grace is graciousness. It promotes deftness, not deception, and does so without snobbery.
Typically, one must strive to realize grace, whether physical or social. A ballerina’s daily twelve muscle-stretching hours in the studio yield ovation-worthy leaps and spins. Enduring hecklers, a stand-up comic articulates a repertoire of silencing quips and comebacks. Helping her friend develop greater confidence, a woman formulates almost- euphemisms that allow her to assert, yet not wound. The graceful person lands on his or her feet or, suffering a few bruises, rises again. The socially graceful person helps others, as well, land safely or get back up.