What is a recommended behavior when seated at a formal dining table?

Keeping your napkin on your lap is considered proper etiquette at a formal dining table. This action signifies readiness for the meal and demonstrates attentiveness to dining conventions. Maintaining the napkin on your lap helps to keep your dining area clean and shows respect for the host and the dining experience. It serves both practical and symbolic purposes in formal settings—practical in that it absorbs any spills or crumbs, and symbolic in that it contributes to an appearance of refinement and decorum.

In contrast, resting elbows on the table, talking with your mouth full, and interrupting others during conversation are behaviors that disrupt the flow of a pleasant dining atmosphere, violate social norms, and can be seen as impolite. These behaviors would detract from the overall dining experience and can create discomfort among guests, thereby highlighting the importance of proper table manners.