By Katrina Broner

To Be Rudely Polite About It…

The only way to get people to be polite these days is to be rude about it. Then it seems that you can’t be polite without it quickly escalating into being mistaken for hardcore flirting. The only happy medium is to be a bit of a jerk.

I can’t stand people, especially children, that don’t say Please & Thank You! It’s a really simple way to acknowledge kindness but it can also get you more than what you asked for. One would think at this point in human history, common courtesy is just a built in behavior but it’s not. It’s more like a generational flaw at this point for so many. You can always tell if a person is just being rude or they truly just didn’t notice. But how many times have you been walking into a store and a person didn’t hold the door but they definitely saw you right behind them? I’m the jerk that’s not afraid to put them on blast and get loud…Thank you for holding the door!

Same thing when I’ve done something to help and the person is well aware but keeps going in silence like that was expected anyway, I get loud: You’re welcome! Have a great day! I’m also the person that won’t give a child what they want unless they say Please. They can cry me a river and scream bloody murder but magic words are magic for a reason. Demands don’t always get you what you want. Discipline is magic too because I don’t tolerate much of that nonsense but we will save that for another time. Children tend to be a reflection of their parents so the lack of manners is not completely their fault, when you see children being rude, it just makes it harder to decide who you want to slap more them or their parents.

Common courtesy is wonderful until you run into a person that finds you attractive that takes it way too far and the feeling is not mutual. There is this strange phenomenon now that smiling and saying normal things in passing like: Good to see you, Have a nice day, Please, Thank you, No problem etc…now can result in an awkward passionate tango of sexual innuendo called flirting…or the sad attempt thereof. Here you are just being a decent human being and the next thing you know bam! It’s Shakespeare in the park and you’re a new contestant on love connection with someone that likes long walks on the beach at sunset. I’ve had it happen so many times and kept trying to figure out what exactly I said to trigger it? The polite thing to do is say “No thank you but I hope you find someone awesome.” Unfortunately, being polite in that situation can also get you cursed out and you might quickly find out you’re stuck up or they didn’t want to really talk to you anyway! Even when I am polite about it, I’m always in my head yelling… Security!

Of course it’s never the point of making anyone beg, the point is everyone has free will and could easily simply choose not to do anything that’s asked of them. But the twist comes when those people that choose not to have manners and common courtesy want the same done for them. No one likes to take orders and people are more likely to do what they are asked or what’s right when they feel appreciated for making the great choice to do so. Chances are they will not only do it happily but go above and beyond a request.

Those incidents used to be rare but it’s happening more and more often. It’s like being well mannered is Love Potion #9 but it’s not worth 3 seconds of breath to say Please and Thank You to another human being. It’s tough to navigate a happy medium at times but even if you have to be a polite jerk…Just Do It!

Especially if it’s someone providing goods and services. If you don’t say Please and Thank You at a restaurant, for example, these days they’re not just spitting in your food. They might go take a break on Porn Hub with your food and then bring it to you with a big smile.

Common courtesy is dying right along with common sense but thankfully there are complete jerks like me to keep it alive. Manners go a long way with those of us who know everything is better when you have them. Remember, it’s what you say and how you say it.

Until Next Time, Stay Awesome.

To see more of Katrina’s writing follow the TrinityLife and shop at her online company 2Key Creations.

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