Are the two most infrequently used words in our culture these days in any language. We are a nation of ungrateful, impolite, rude, crude, and callous people - we just don't have that 'sweetness' of temperament and manner, for to us in some convoluted way, being aggressive and forthright is confused with being strong and being right. Being polite is so out of date, we have simply forgotten how to be nice to others and perhaps, we now equate being polite to some kind of intrinsic weakness, as if we are somewhat smaller or lesser than others if we talk nicely and sweetly.
How have we come to be so twisted? I notice, and its very glaringly obvious, children (Pakistani) living and being raised abroad would be in the habit of using Please and Thank-you very much so, it is second nature to them, while our children no matter which class or strata they belong to have to be nudged at appropriate times to respond with a polite remark, its just not a matter of habit with them!
So what exactly are we teaching our children? if we are unable to get them to say thank-you and please we have actually failed as parents, for its these small decencies which make up the character of a person eventually. I believe one of the main reasons why we are not in the habit of saying these two words is that we all generally have servants whom we communicate with, with a very heavy hand. We are used to people doing our dirty work without as much as a nod of our head, and saying polite words to your servants? that's not really needed! for they are paid to do what they are doing.
I think if as a policy or habit or rule we all start to say thanks and please in our every day dealings with others we would be on the mend!
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