First come, first served is perhaps one of the most fiercely defended fairness norms we have. We instinctively understand that if someone has been waiting longer than us, they should generally go first. Airports provide another interesting example, standing in front of the gate before your group is called does not make the plane leave any sooner. Yet people still stand, often creating congestion where there was none before. Sometimes the most considerate thing you can do is simply remain seated until your group is called. Breaking these rules rarely results in any formal consequence as nobody is going to arrest you for standing in the airport queue too early or trying to board a train before everyone has got off. Yet everyone notices, especially in London.

These small behaviours are tiny votes for the kind of shared world we want to live in. Do we make space for others? Do we respect the flow? Do we understand that public spaces are shared spaces? Do we recognise that our individual behaviour affects everyone around us? And increasingly, I think being good at this stuff is a competitive advantage. Because in a world where technical knowledge is increasingly accessible, the ability to read a room, understand social dynamics and navigate shared spaces with awareness can distinguish the people who simply participate from those who know how to contribute.