Please Be Polite

Imagine a cold February evening. Where? The snowy parking lot and doorway of a small restaurant. Emily and a group of friends had just finished eating dinner. Chattering happily, they all leave, while Emily, who had been first, holds the heavy door for them. They say, “Thank you,” appreciatively as they button their jackets and throw on scarves and gloves. Right after them comes another large group of people. Emily holds the door for all of them as well. They also thank her. After everyone who is leaving has left, Emily jogs out into the parking lot, where her friends are waiting for her in the car, and gets in.

Now imagine a totally different scenario. It’s two thirty and school has just finished. Two girls, Juliana and Tiffany, are talking in the hallway. They are sitting, relaxed, on the floor, ignoring how dirty it is. After a few minutes, conversation turns to Juliana’s boyfriend. She is worried because in a few days he is having surgery to correct his scoliosis, and she won’t see him for a few weeks. As she is venting to Tiffany, mid-sentence, Tiffany’s phone rings. Tiffany answers it, and holds a ten minute conversation while Juliana waits awkwardly. When Tiffany hangs up, Juliana asks her what it was about. “Oh, don’t worry,” Tiffany says. “It wasn’t anything important.”

These two stories are total opposites, both in where they are set and in the behavior of the characters. The first is an example of total politeness, the second of total rudeness. Unfortunately, you are more likely to witness or be a part of something similar to the latter than the first. People can be very rude, but being polite is better from all angles you can consider it and most people should try to be more polite. What exactly is politeness? It is more than just saying please and thank you. It is the act and attitude of showing regard for others. Politeness is a mindset of considering others before you speak or act.

Some may argue that people are already polite enough. Experience proves that wrong. It is true that there are some very polite people out there, but it is also true that there are also some very rude people, and most people fall in the middle. There isn’t a need for over-politeness and taking years of etiquette lessons, but there should be more basic courtesy.

Others think that manners are outdated or old-fashioned. Some manners may be, but not all. The ways to be polite may change, but the need to be polite is a constant. Politeness is a general way of interacting with people, and treating others courteously is timeless.

Basic courtesy makes life and everyday interactions better for you in many ways. When you are polite, you make good first impressions. People want to be around you, and people are nicer to you in return. It helps you communicate because others listen better to you, and listening to others is an important part of politeness and communication. Also, I don’t know if this is universal, but when I’m polite to others, I just feel better. Being mean or rude to others can be temporarily gratifying, but it makes me feel worse after. Politeness