Please and Thank You

 

Polite speech is something that we are all taught growing up, but is it really necessary? A simple “May I use the restroom?” or “Could you please pass the salt?” may seem unnecessary and redundant at times, but it can usually get you further than you’d think. For instance, in a classroom, being polite can even raise your GPA. If you are at an 89.4% in the class, instead of demanding “Round up my grade!” politely asking your teacher, “Is there any way you could round up my grade or give me an extra credit opportunity?” could bump your grade up a whole letter. Another example of when polite speech is crucial is in a courtroom. I have seen a video of the defendant constantly making aggressive comments toward the judge like, “What are you looking at?” which actually resulted in the judge giving them a longer sentence than originally planned. However, I have also seen videos where the defendant is very polite, addressing the judge as “Your honor” and “Ma’am” or “Sir” and clearly explaining their situation, which resulted in the judge taking pity on them and taking some time or money off of their sentence. A common factor in each of these situations is the balance of power that being polite maintains. It puts the receiver of your message in power, making them more susceptible to the message. This is the same reason asking your parents for permission or a favor is more probable when you are more polite. So maybe polite speech is more important than we really think…