Although I love cows—when people chew like a cow—my ears just hurt. Nothing drives me up a wall like when people can’t chew with their mouths shut. God created lips for a reason. One of which is to conceal your food when you chew. Oftentimes, I think to myself why is this so hard to learn?

“Chomp, chomp, chomp” I overhear as I'm trying to concentrate on a test. It makes me feel as if you think the sound of your gum is more important than the sound of silence. I despise the sound of gum chewing more than people eating with their mouths open. The sounds of the rubber smacking of their bacteria-filled mouths for all to hear do not placate me, it only makes my blood pressure rise. The worst part about it is when you try to politely ask them to stop, they keep going and maliciously do it, sometimes even louder than before. 

Manners are so important nowadays, especially in a world where people are so quick to judge. One of the biggest things people quietly judge you on is how you chew. If your mouth is open or closed. It seems to be a lost art by most parents to teach simple table manners. Where have we gone wrong as a society? Simple things like holding utensils right, taking your jacket off while at a restaurant, and chewing with your mouth closed seem to be becoming less of the “normal”. 

Most studies show that people's blood pressure rises the most when they are around someone that is chewing with their mouth open. It's crazy that something so annoying people are oblivious to. As a society we should start teaching our young children manners again and how they will benefit them as a person when they are older and start dating, even if they are out having dinner with their boss or co-workers. It is so imperative to learn manners as you as a person will become more aware of the annoyances of others who don't have manners.