Yes being polite is hard for those of us who were wired in "adversity"... Yet it is never too late to learn once one is motivated as old patterns are notoriously hard to change.... Yet, CHANGE is still an option for those determined to do the work... The main motivator for working to get the built in benefit of being polite is that it helps one be good to oneself. This is a Great resolution for 2023... Thanks M
Politeness. “If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all “ Father and Mother quote we all grew up with. Also, because my Dad’s job as a traveling salesman meant the home phone was also his office phone, we were taught early on proper, respectful phone etiquette. When I think of politeness, I also focus on kindness and graciousness… Great lifelong resolution!
Hello from a friendly Canadian neighbor. I do try to be kind. Treating people the way I like to be treated is what I do, in my own perfectly imperfect way. Sometimes my kindness pisses people off. For some, whatever I say or do is not good enough. I must aspire to not care when that happens. You can't save everyone.
Politeness starts early. My niece was teaching her 3 year old twin boys to be polite. Saying please and thank you was important. I overheard one asking, “Mommy can I go outside? Please and thank you?”He figured he’d cover all his bases. Yes, politeness seems to be a lost art in so many cases. Unfortunately people have not been taught. Next time a waitress asks you if, “you still workin’ on that, hon?”, remember her motives were good, but nobody taught her the right way to ask.
We were raised to be polite. But it was enforced more in my school than at home. My mother and I were always polite, but at school you were called out for being rude, and that stung.
I’m a big believer in the power of politeness and what it can do to improve quality of life. I would add smiling as part of the equation as well. I find smiling and being polite especially when someone else is helping you (like with a cashier at a store or a receptionist at the doctor). In addition to trust, it just makes the day a little better for all.
Interestingly, I have also heard an example of how being polite doesn’t help. A friend who was going through fertility treatment was told by her doctor that his anecdotal experience was that rude/impatient women seem to get pregnant more quickly.
Politeness does indeed grease the wheels of any relationship and makes the world a much more pleasant place in which to live. Thanks, as always, for a great morning read!
My husband and I are US. Citizens—we were recently in Vancouver BC and were blown away how polite (and genuinely nice) everyone is. I’m a huge “please and thank you” person—it made me so happy. Thank you Canadians for being so great! Please US citizens—let’s work on this in 2023.
Adding this to my resolutions list. Thanks.
Thank you for this. Politeness adds quality of life :-).
Changing mobile shortly my sucks .
South of the line seems to have great influence in my current local. Also in RR CC HH
Question: did your friend feel a lot more nervous than you did or a lot less?
"But I also remember that my friend felt a lot less more nervous than I was, once we got going."
Thank you Kevin—you beat me to it. Hey Bill, would you clarify…”please.” It’s kind of an important part to your story.
she was more nervous because her instructor was gruff and direct, where his was polite. That's what I got from it anyway.
Yes, except for some, “gruff and direct” leadership also inspires confidence. Right? Either way, I’m sure it was a typo from Bill.
Didn’t you mean to say “Bill, can you please tell us whether your friend...”. 😊
Yes indeed. And thank you! What a fine example you've raised, of a missed opportunity for me to exercise my politeness muscles 😀
You are most welcome,Sir! Have a great day too!
Please clarify a key sentence in the the text below:
"But I also remember that my friend felt a lot less more nervous than I was, once we got going."
Yes being polite is hard for those of us who were wired in "adversity"... Yet it is never too late to learn once one is motivated as old patterns are notoriously hard to change.... Yet, CHANGE is still an option for those determined to do the work... The main motivator for working to get the built in benefit of being polite is that it helps one be good to oneself. This is a Great resolution for 2023... Thanks M
Politeness. “If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all “ Father and Mother quote we all grew up with. Also, because my Dad’s job as a traveling salesman meant the home phone was also his office phone, we were taught early on proper, respectful phone etiquette. When I think of politeness, I also focus on kindness and graciousness… Great lifelong resolution!
Hello from a friendly Canadian neighbor. I do try to be kind. Treating people the way I like to be treated is what I do, in my own perfectly imperfect way. Sometimes my kindness pisses people off. For some, whatever I say or do is not good enough. I must aspire to not care when that happens. You can't save everyone.
Also you can’t make everyone happy.
Politeness starts early. My niece was teaching her 3 year old twin boys to be polite. Saying please and thank you was important. I overheard one asking, “Mommy can I go outside? Please and thank you?”He figured he’d cover all his bases. Yes, politeness seems to be a lost art in so many cases. Unfortunately people have not been taught. Next time a waitress asks you if, “you still workin’ on that, hon?”, remember her motives were good, but nobody taught her the right way to ask.
We were raised to be polite. But it was enforced more in my school than at home. My mother and I were always polite, but at school you were called out for being rude, and that stung.
Those were the days.
I’m a big believer in the power of politeness and what it can do to improve quality of life. I would add smiling as part of the equation as well. I find smiling and being polite especially when someone else is helping you (like with a cashier at a store or a receptionist at the doctor). In addition to trust, it just makes the day a little better for all.
Interestingly, I have also heard an example of how being polite doesn’t help. A friend who was going through fertility treatment was told by her doctor that his anecdotal experience was that rude/impatient women seem to get pregnant more quickly.
Thank you!
Good habits are easy to make. Nice work, there is nothing like jumping out a a perfectly good airplane!
Time to shovel some snow..
It doesn’t cost anything extra to be nice.
Haha
Politeness does indeed grease the wheels of any relationship and makes the world a much more pleasant place in which to live. Thanks, as always, for a great morning read!
My husband and I are US. Citizens—we were recently in Vancouver BC and were blown away how polite (and genuinely nice) everyone is. I’m a huge “please and thank you” person—it made me so happy. Thank you Canadians for being so great! Please US citizens—let’s work on this in 2023.
This warms the heart. Toronto, Canada here.
Come back and visit anytime :).
Thank you from Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada.
Note: Kapuskasing is Cree for bend in the river.
It has already been asked, but I am commenting so I can hear the response—was your friend more nervous or less nervous? Love your daily blogs!