Eating Out with Politeness

It is no doubt that polite speech affects relationships. Especially in first-time relationships, it is almost necessary to begin with a cordial greeting like "how are you." Without a cordial greeting, the purpose of the conversation may fail. The American lifestyle tends to be a hustle-and-bustle lifestyle, so these friendly phrases allow us to portray our emotions and empathy. We aren't robots, and even if the phrase is clearly meaningless, the politeness makes us feel better. It makes us feel like someone cares, and is willing to connect.

Being an avid foodie on this blog, I go to restaurants quite often. At restaurants, politeness is essential to good customer service. It is also, in my opinion, simply a manner that people should have. Although most people believe that waiters are only nice to receive tips, another perspective is that they truly do enjoy their job and serving you. The least you can do is to treat them with kindness, from saying "thank you" to meals and "may I" or "I would like" instead of "I want". In fact, conditional phrases in many languages serve the purpose of politeness. From my experience, these mannerisms augment my overall dining experience. Being a semi-introvert, polite speech closes the awkward distance between me and strangers, and it raises self-confidence in the conversation.

Although this speech shouldn't be hindering, it has another function: to avoid problems. Being straight-up rude and bossy, or simply ignorant, would impose problems between the diner and the waiter, as well as create unreserved judgments from everyone in the restaurant. Bringing this back to the aforementioned hustle-and-bustle American culture, all people want is to get their meal, and maybe spend time with friends and family. A polite greeting, short and simple, will create a positive vibe and avoid conflicts that would take much longer than the necessary time at the restaurant.

Overall, from the perspective of self-improvement and mental health, politeness not only improves relationships, but it also increases the necessary skills of empathy and respect.  The important idea behind polite mannerisms is that you never know what that person is facing. Your "fake" politeness may just make that person's day.