Thank You Is Not Just a Polite Expression!

I love it when I hear people use polite statements like please and thank you. These are common ways to express respect and kindness. I think that it is becoming rare but there is hope that it will not become extinct. 

In the age of extreme political views that find fault and demonstrates insulting responses to disagreement, the virtues of niceness is getting lost. It is hard to imaging that our social norms have been reducing our expectations on the way we treat one another. Being polite has lost it meaning, seemingly being eroded more each day.

I am not a sociologist but I notice as do you, that being polite is less and less experienced, especially over social media platforms and online interactions. Our politicians don’t seem to lead proper etiquette well either! 

Being polite is also a form of encouragement as Proverbs 12:25 tells us. It is uplifting to hear positive affirmations like thank you! We can do a lot of good just by being nice!

adjective, po·lit·er, po·lit·est.

showing good manners toward others, as in behavior, speech, etc.; courteous; civil.

In a recent online reports like John Hopkins, we can study the facts and see how true our assumptions are. A recent researches shared that proper etiquette is like traffic lights. Professor Dr. Pier Forni says that the traffic lights of human interaction. They make it so we don’t crash into one another in everyday behavior.”

It is not a generational issue but it is revealing how often being polite is passed down (or not) from one generation to the next. Consider the following generational gaps on good manners. 

In recent decades, young people have begun asking questions not asked before, including, “What’s the big deal about good manners?” Or to frame it another way: “What’s in it for me to sit up straight, say please and thank you, shake hands, and keep my mouth closed while chewing food?”

Being able to teach good manners to adults is hard work. We can no longer assume that people will act professional. It starts when we are young but consistent reinforcement of good manners matter! 

The Bible is filled with many virtues that speak to this subject so well. Verses like, Philippians 1:27, “...let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel.” And Acts 17:11, “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Or even in James, the Bible speaks about controlling the tongue.

There just may be a connection with the lack of virtue being taught with the decline of the Bible in everyday conversation. We can do better! No matter our political view or disagreements, we should be able to express kindness! Saying thank you is not just a polite expression, it reveals the heart!

Here is a helpful resources. Age appropriate guidelines are helpful. Read more.