Week 4 - Prompt 3: "Please Read This Article, Thank You"

Central Argument: Linton Weeks takes many different opinions from mannerists and etiquette mavens, and eventually concludes to the idea that people have forgotten how to express polite phrases such as “thank you” and “please” because society has started to expect everything casual – causal conversation, casual dressing sense, and casual behavior. But Weeks also goes to state that the reason why people have stopped using such phrases is because there has been a shift in ways of communicating where no one expects such “formalities.”

Essay:

            When we walk around the hallways at school during the class changes, we always hear the phrases, “Get out of the way” or “Why are you standing in the way, MOVE.” It is true that I am one of those people who yells these few phrases out every once in a while. Though this could be utter frustration from having to run to English class to earn a stamp for being on time, it is still out of place to scream such things on the top of our lungs. People are probably as frustrated as though who say this, but don’t seem to do anything about it. They take their own opinions and keep it within themselves. They know that it is out of place to say such things. For this reason, we can say that these people have manners, and know that rude behavior should not be accepted in any circumstances. I agree with Week’s concept that polite phrases are fading out in today’s world for these reasons: many feel too comfortable around their friends, allowing them to act any way they want; as we forget to appreciate those that take care of us on a daily basis; and as we are too used to receiving gifts and gadgets that we forget the meaning of love and happiness.

            Last week before my major mock AP Chemistry exam, one of my not-so-close friends, came up to me and demanded that I give her my calculator. There I was, sitting, trying to get my head wrapped around the concept of quantum numbers with the help of my trusty calculator, and this not-so-good friend of mine approaches me and demands that I give her something that is helping ME succeed. I looked at her appalled, to see only a blank face returning my appalled one. She expected me to give her MY calculator without her asking politely. I have always believed in common courtesy and being polite to those when possible, though I may not always follow it myself. But I was baffled to see this person, stand in front of me, asking me for something that was mine, without having the courtesy of even saying “please.” I thought that she had enough decency to do that much, but clearly, she didn’t. I looked at her and told her that I was busy preparing for the same test she was trying to take. I got up from where I was sitting, turned around to face her, and told her “If you had a bit of manners, I would have slightly considered giving you MY calculator,” and then stormed off. I understand that it wasn’t the best way to handle the situation, but I think that it is our duty as civil, kind, compassionate human beings that we were “made” to be, to follow through and be those people, even though times have changed. Just because society as become more corrupt, doesn’t mean the human race has to be.

            On Tuesday, during homeroom, my English teacher, also one of the advisors for the 11^th grade, approached the whole class and put us in our places; and I commend him for that. Though not all his points were fair, I feel that his message as a whole was spot on. To summarize his speech, he stated that the 11^th grade at Woodstock School didn’t have the decency to respect their elders and those who helped them when they needed it the most. People at Woodstock have everything that is luxurious. We have flat screen TVs in dorms while other boarding school students don’t have the luxury of watching TV, we have a menu filled with variety (even though we don’t believe so) while students in other boarding schools don’t have the luxury of choosing their menu, and we have teachers and dorm parents who care about our well being and our success (even though we don’t think so) while other students from boarding school don’t have the luxury of people who truly and genuinely care about their students. We are so used to these luxuries and these people who are always there to help us that we forget that to appreciate them. As we forget to appreciate them, we stop trying to be polite to them. We treat them as any other “objects” (no offensive to anyone) and forget to respect them. We forget to say “thank you” and “please” and “we appreciate everything that you do for us.” For this reason, we have turned into the brats of the 21^st century. We don’t know how to show people that we genuinely care about everything they have done for us, because we expect everything to be handed to us on a silver platter.

            My parents are those who buy their children almost anything they want. They aren’t those parents who give children iPods or Mac Books when they get good grades or when they stay out of trouble; they are the ones who will try to do anything to meet their children’s demand and keep them happy. I have noticed this trend in my entire family. All my aunts and uncles treat their children the way my parents treat my sister and I – they try to meet every demand. Though I’m not always the most appreciative child, I always make the effort to say thank you to my parents when they get me gifts and when they do nice things for me. When I’m at school and my parents get me a parcel, I always make sure I write an email, even if it is a few words, to appreciate them remembering me and sending me a gift. I can’t say the same for my cousins though. They seem to expect everything from their parents as they are too used to getting almost everything they want. They get cranky and annoyed when their parents don’t get them what they want, when they want it. Because we always expect things from people, we forget the meaning, the innocence, of receiving gifts and the joy we feel will while opening the wrapper. That is all lost when we expect to always get gifts, and this why we forget to express our appreciativeness.

            I don’t believe that there is any society shift change in the world that can possibly explain and allow people behaving rudely to one another. However, there may be an explanation, though it might not be the most pleasant of circumstances. We are too used to things – both of people doing things for us and trying to help us out in any way they can and of people making us feel joyful by giving us gifts. People are too used to the relationships they have with others that they forget to thank them in the end, and instead act as though they own the person. Someone needs to bring these people, including me some times, that the world doesn’t revolve around them.