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I am still very polite, and so is my husband. However, I do not hesitate to stand up for myself, if others are rude. Really, if I’m polite, most of the time, it sets the tone for politeness in others.
Instead of less or more polite I'd say the specific things or situations I choose to be less or more polite about have changed. I am less polite to rude arrogant people, and more polite to pretty much everyone else.
Being polite and kind to others makes me feel good, so I try for it as much as possible. Not much change, but I am more aware of the needs of others as I have matured.
I have always been polite. I am considerate and helpful. However, if someone is being rude all bets are off. Oblivious people blocking a doorway or aisle will get an exaggerated I am so sorry that I need to get through this door, or I feel just terrible to interrupt your conversation but I need to get my shopping cart past you. So in some respects I am less polite.
Well maybe I am fortunate where I live. I am polite, others are polite. In the store and driving. I’ve joked before how at four way stops locals wave each other to go first so after 15 seconds finally someone goes. A pleasant annoyance. Such is life in eastern CA. Teenagers are polite and repectful. Such is life in a small town
My politeness level hasn't changed. My daddy taught me certain things when I was a kid and I haven't wavered. I have noticed however that I am more willing to speak up and many people seem to confuse someone who speaks up with being impolite.
Now my pet peeve is the holding the door thing. I was always taught that from a young age, but have noticed I get a very different response depending on who I'm holding it for. Usually men, kids, and older women say "thank you." Younger women however give three very different responses and you never know which one it will be. A little less than half will say "thank you." About a third will say nothing at all. And the remainder will make some comment along the lines of "what, do you think a woman can't open a door for herself." I get that much less now that I'm in Tennessee, but there were places I lived where it got so bad I don't hold a door for anybody out of self defense.
Well maybe I am fortunate where I live. I am polite, others are polite. In the store and driving. I’ve joked before how at four way stops locals wave each other to go first so after 15 seconds finally someone goes. A pleasant annoyance. Such is life in eastern CA. Teenagers are polite and repectful. Such is life in a small town
Can I give you a thumbs up on this? Teenagers get a bad rap most of the time, but the vast majority I run into here in a small Southern town are invariably polite. More so than the adults a lot of the time. When I worry about the future of our country, it isn't the teenagers I worry about.
I am much more assertive. I am no longer afraid to ask for what I want, or to ask someone to move out of my way, etc.
You can be polite and still be assertive. I've learned this. Just because I am assertive, doesn't make me rude.
For instance, I was at Costco a couple days ago and was in line with my cart. A woman who was talking on her cell phone came up and stood in front of me in line, even though I was obviously behind the guy in front of me, and there were other people behind me. She was obviously trying to get away with butting in front of me, by acting like she was unaware of what was happening, because she was so involved in her conversation on the phone.
So, I waited to get her eye, and she was obviously avoiding being called out. So, I tapped her on the shoulder and told her there was a line and pointed behind me.
She then acted like she was surprised - total fake act - and tried to then get in line behind me, even though a too-polite lady was behind me in line. And then I said, um no, she had to go to the end of the line.
Anyway, I no longer put up with people like this. I wasn't rude, but I was assertive. And, honestly, if she would have tried to continue to get away with it, I would have become loud and obnoxious about it.
I no longer have any problem with being louder and more annoying than someone trying to pull one over on me by being loud and/or annoying. I will win that war. So, that's something that has changed for me over time. Just because I look like a nice old lady with white hair doesn't mean I'm not a worthy adversary :-) I don't suffer fools anymore. And it feels really good.
Yes and no. I've recognized the need to do a better job on expressing gratitude. On the other hand, I will lose patience with idiots faster than I used to. Life is too short to spend time listening to self-important fools.
I like to think of myself as a polite person, but I wouldn't be surprised if my level of politeness has actually eroded some in recent years.
It's not so much a matter of age, but a matter of living in a world that is becoming increasingly uncivil. Sad but true. I try not to let the world change the inner core of how I behave, but I think it happens more than we realize.
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