Are we an impolite society?

Some of the most polite people I've ever seen are also some of the most dishonest, and untruustworthy.. Some of the rudest people I've ever seen are some of the most honest and trustworthy..

Being polite really doesn't have much bearing on anything.
 
Some of the most polite people I've ever seen are also some of the most dishonest, and untruustworthy.. Some of the rudest people I've ever seen are some of the most honest and trustworthy..

Being polite really doesn't have much bearing on anything.

I've never found that. Seriously, can you give some personal examples? I'm not expecting links, needless to say.
 
Some of the most polite people I've ever seen are also some of the most dishonest, and untruustworthy.. Some of the rudest people I've ever seen are some of the most honest and trustworthy..

Being polite really doesn't have much bearing on anything.

You can't be polite, honest AND trustworthy ?
 
I've never found that. Seriously, can you give some personal examples? I'm not expecting links, needless to say.

Sure.. Ever seen a group of people walk into a store, politely engage the store clerk in conversation, and then spread out and steal stuff?

Ever seen someone in a store play around with something, actually break it, and then just hide it on a shelf, and walk out without saying anything, while giving the clerk, or door person a nice smile?

Polite, but dishonest.

I'm pretty vocal, and I don't beat around the bush, which in most cases, is considered rude.. but if you drop a $50 bill, I'll damn well make sure you get it back.

Merely saying the two don't exactly go hand in hand, nor are they a given. (Yes, Dillo, they CAN - anything is possible.)
 
Sure.. Ever seen a group of people walk into a store, politely engage the store clerk in conversation, and then spread out and steal stuff?

Ever seen someone in a store play around with something, actually break it, and then just hide it on a shelf, and walk out without saying anything, while giving the clerk, or door person a nice smile?

Polite, but dishonest.

I'm pretty vocal, and I don't beat around the bush, which in most cases, is considered rude.. but if you drop a $50 bill, I'll damn well make sure you get it back.

Merely saying the two don't exactly go hand in hand, nor are they a given. (Yes, Dillo, they CAN - anything is possible.)

NP-I had just assumed we were talking about people who were honestly polite and not playing some con game. I can appreciate your bluntness--after years of counseling people , I sorta got burned out on using tact too. :lol:
 
Sure.. Ever seen a group of people walk into a store, politely engage the store clerk in conversation, and then spread out and steal stuff?

Ever seen someone in a store play around with something, actually break it, and then just hide it on a shelf, and walk out without saying anything, while giving the clerk, or door person a nice smile?

Polite, but dishonest.

I'm pretty vocal, and I don't beat around the bush, which in most cases, is considered rude.. but if you drop a $50 bill, I'll damn well make sure you get it back.

Merely saying the two don't exactly go hand in hand, nor are they a given. (Yes, Dillo, they CAN - anything is possible.)

Agreed, cons can be polite. Sorry.
 
A new year's resolution: Could we be a little more polite, please?


A hundred years ago, if a gentleman were insulted, he'd probably try to kill his adversary in a duel. A hundred years ago, women couldn't own property or vote. Fifty years ago, people of color couldn't eat in the same restaurant, use the same bathrooms, or sit in the same seating areas as whites.

Spare me all the "hell in a handbasket" hand-wringing. Politeness is all relative.
 
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A hundred years ago, if a gentleman were insulted, he'd probably try to kill his adversary in a duel. A hundred years ago, women couldn't own property or vote. Fifty years ago, people of color couldn't eat in the same restaurant, use the same bathrooms, or sit in the same seating areas as whites.

Spare me all the "hell in a handbasket" hand-wringing. Politeness is all relative.

So you think because there are bigger fish to fry, we shouldn't concern ourselves with something so petty as common courtesy and politeness?
 
Rude people have forgotten that they are not the only people in the world. On the other hand, some people have such strict rules for how others should treat them that it's impossible to be polite to them on their terms.

neither are pleasant to deal with.

Your position is balanced I can't argue with you! Ying and yang...
 
So you think because there are bigger fish to fry, we shouldn't concern ourselves with something so petty as common courtesy and politeness?
I think that "common courtesy" is a flexible term that changes over time, and that this change is normal and to be expected.
 
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So you think because there are bigger fish to fry, we shouldn't concern ourselves with something so petty as common courtesy and politeness?

No, Catz made a great point, what is polite changes with the culture and times. For instance spitting on someone here is a grave insult, but there is a country where spitting on someone is actually a blessing to them (it actually exists I am just too lazy to find the link). Another, here throwing a shoe at someone is assault while in the Middle East it's just an insult. 20 years ago it was illegal to spit on the sidewalk, it would land you 30 days in jail or a 30 dollar fine, now I see it all the time by the 'polite' people. It's relative to where you live and the when you live. Of course it takes higher brain function to understand this it would seem. Now THAT was rude of me ....
 
No, Catz made a great point, what is polite changes with the culture and times. For instance spitting on someone here is a grave insult, but there is a country where spitting on someone is actually a blessing to them (it actually exists I am just too lazy to find the link). Another, here throwing a shoe at someone is assault while in the Middle East it's just an insult. 20 years ago it was illegal to spit on the sidewalk, it would land you 30 days in jail or a 30 dollar fine, now I see it all the time by the 'polite' people. It's relative to where you live and the when you live. Of course it takes higher brain function to understand this it would seem. Now THAT was rude of me ....

So your point is that anything goes, as there are no standards? Or that we, meaning US should make way for all diverse ideas?
 
So your point is that anything goes, as there are no standards? Or that we, meaning US should make way for all diverse ideas?

Okay ... again but slowly this time:

What ... is ... considered ... impolite ... changes ... with ... the ... times ... and ... places.

I think it's rude for people to talk on their phones in public, but I have to deal with it, why? Because most people don't think it is, get it now?
 
I think that "common courtesy" is a flexible term that changes over time, and that this change is normal and to be expected.

I hope you're not saying that holding the door for a lady or giving your seat to a pregnant women on the train is something we don't have to be concerned about doing. Are you saying that the standards have changed so that such things are obsolete? not necessary?
 
Okay ... again but slowly this time:

What ... is ... considered ... impolite ... changes ... with ... the ... times ... and ... places.

I think it's rude for people to talk on their phones in public, but I have to deal with it, why? Because most people don't think it is, get it now?

Exactly what I supposed, there aren't standards, to implement such would be rude. So all can be crude. Gottcha now. Thank you. (left over premise.)
 
So your point is that anything goes, as there are no standards? Or that we, meaning US should make way for all diverse ideas?

No, but morals and values change and evolve, and we adapt with them. For instance, twenty years ago, there was no real online culture. Interactions between humans online are still evolving. I met my boyfriend on match.com. There was no online dating when I was 22. An entirely new set of rules have evolved to deal with meeting people online.

I don't believe that people are as rude as is implied in the article. I watched my daughter give up her seat for an older woman in church on Christmas Eve, WITHOUT PROMPTING. My experience with the teenagers who are constantly in and out of my house on a daily basis is that there is no real crisis of courtesy.

Here, at least. YMMV.
 
Exactly what I supposed, there aren't standards, to implement such would be rude. So all can be crude. Gottcha now. Thank you. (left over premise.)

LAME. That is NOT what was implied, but nice long reach into intellectual dishonesty.

Tell me...is it courteous to misrepresent another poster's views?

Physician, heal thyself.
 
No, but morals and values change and evolve, and we adapt with them. For instance, twenty years ago, there was no real online culture. Interactions between humans online are still evolving. I met my boyfriend on match.com. There was no online dating when I was 22. An entirely new set of rules have evolved to deal with meeting people online.

I don't believe that people are as rude as is implied in the article. I watched my daughter give up her seat for an older woman in church on Christmas Eve, WITHOUT PROMPTING. My experience with the teenagers who are constantly in and out of my house on a daily basis is that there is no real crisis of courtesy.

Here, at least. YMMV.

Aaaah ... see, Catz is smarter than a lot of people give credit for. The article, like many others I have seen, often take one or two instances and, like almost anything our media touches, applies it to 'the vast majority', while in reality it's only a small minority. Also, no, an entire town is NOT a vast majority, even an entire city can be called the small minority when dealing with our world wide population level.
 
LAME. That is NOT what was implied, but nice long reach into intellectual dishonesty.

Tell me...is it courteous to misrepresent another poster's views?

Physician, heal thyself.

Right. As I said earlier on another thread, there comes a point to say the lowest denominator wins. This certainly is in contention. In any case, my time here regarding such is done.
 

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