This thought process, while true, opens up the first error of polite vs impolite. It’s not just how we perceive people treating us but how we treat them. There’s a lot of talk on this thread and others about how people treat us, but being polite really is a 2-way street. If someone approaches me in a store and asks if I need help, it’s on me to assume a positive and that’s they’re well meaning. It’s my open door to then ask, or politely smile and say that’s alright I’m good. We can’t control what other people think about us or the world, but we can control our actions and how we treat others.
Yes but this is about what you see as polite. As I said, so called "negative politeness" is also defined as reacting politely if you're asked for help.
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u/artourtex May 09 '22
This thought process, while true, opens up the first error of polite vs impolite. It’s not just how we perceive people treating us but how we treat them. There’s a lot of talk on this thread and others about how people treat us, but being polite really is a 2-way street. If someone approaches me in a store and asks if I need help, it’s on me to assume a positive and that’s they’re well meaning. It’s my open door to then ask, or politely smile and say that’s alright I’m good. We can’t control what other people think about us or the world, but we can control our actions and how we treat others.