Ladies first.
The origin of the gallant gesture of passing the ladies first as a gesture of good education, is lost in the mists of time. However there are some theories that try to explain, albeit vaguely,how this act turned on a rule of etiquette and good manners in the Western world.
The first theory states that before a danger, either imminent or in progress (a flood or fire inside your home, for example) prehistoric man trying to rescue their belongings higher value (women) who certainly formed the most important part of their heritage, and that of females who gave birth and raised kids, depended the preservation of their species. Taking the step to the female, making it out of the danger zone as soon as possible, he raised the chances of survival. Such behavior became part of the genetic program of Homo sapiens and greatly helped the evolutionary development of our species. Sounds good, however, this theory loses strength to observe the behavior of some Eastern cultures, where the woman is always a few steps behind the man and concluded that if such behavior were part of the genetic heritage of homo sapiens, should be universal and as we have shown, it is not.
Another widely accepted theory tells us to look at the Middle Ages, the origin of the gallant detail let the ladies first. The lurking dangers and betrayals medieval man were literally across the door. If a palatial murderer hid behind the door waiting for his victim, enough to let the lady go first, so she suffered the attack, deferring to the man who was the great patriarch, owner of the nobility and the family inheritance . With everything and be more theory accepted by scholars, I doubt that such a cowardly act could have become a feature of gallantry and chivalry so widespread in the West.
A little known theory and almost always rejected by intelectuals, is the one that says that the gentleman always lets pass the simple lady and simply to see the buttocks. Recreador sight of man and flattering to the female ego gesture. Make yourself the test, the next time you are about to cross a door, let the ladies go first. I think enough to stop talking common sense to realize whether or not it is, is the most successful theory
