“Please and thank you.”
The intent to be polite is there, but frankly, it’s just plain rude. For the younger crowd, this phrase has become popular, and it’s catching on in the 20s and 30s crowd.
When I was a young girl, I was taught to say “please” and “thank you”- never both in the same phrase. In saying please, I asked politely for some type of favor or object. In saying “thank you”, I was displaying gratitude for obtaining the object.
However, in immediately saying both together, it puts people on the spot. If someone says “please and thank you”, and you have to be out the door for another obligation, as another polite person, who wants to help, you feel guilty that you can’t do what someone asks.
When a Girl Scout comes to the door and tries to sell cookies, and after her little spiel, she says “please and thank you”, she’s being a rude. She’s assuming you’ll buy her tasty cookies because she spent all of 2 minutes telling you what purchasing her cookies will help.
The problem I keep observing is that there are a growing number of people that say “please and thank you”, and they get angry, because they feel entitled to some service being done after saying that phrase. Frankly, it’s a phrase that is becoming abused, even more so by the younger crowd that still haven’t really learned their manners.
Also, the context is always rushed, and doesn’t sounds as appreciative. It seems so blasé.
What can we do about this?
Well, I certainly know I sound like some old crotchety bastard about this, but I wasn’t raised like this, and I never raised my son to be like this. We embrace some old fashion ways, and take the time to say “please” and “thank you” when appropriate… never rushing a “please and thank you.”
Let’s make sure to teach our youth patience and proper manners. We need to also help teach them to be humble and have gratitude. In this day of fast paced technology, we need some things to slow down, so we can fully appreciate each other.
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