Manners Vs habits

A friend and I have both wondered from time to time whether what might be regarded as bad manners is still bad manners if there is no-one around to see or hear.

Luckily for me little Georgia has spoken on the matter.

One day I was in the kitchen and Georgia was playing with her little animals on the floor not far away.
I said "Pardon me" after I burped out loud. The conversation went something like this:

Georgia: Hmmm?

Me: Pardon me (I repeated)

Georgia: What did you say pardon me for?

Me: Because I burped.

Georgia: What did you say pardon me for?

Me: Because I burped.

Georgia: But why did you say pardon me?

Me: Because it's good manners to say pardon me if you burp out loud.

Georgia: You only have to say pardon me if someone hears you and I didn't hear you, so why did you say pardon me?

Me: I didn't know that. I thought you had to say pardon me every time you burped. Maybe I am being old fashioned again.

Georgia: Mmmm, probably. It's probably a good habit.

So I now go along with the theory that something/anything is only bad manners if there is someone around to think so. It's really just a matter of good or bad habits how you behave when you are on your own. And I don't worry too much about that. I figure I still have my wits about me enough to check myself if one of my bad habits is about to show itself in public.