How hard is it to be polite to each other?
Kate Knowles
Issue date: 9/14/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
The other day, I was doing homework in the lobby of my building in Panhellenic when two guys walked up carrying a love seat. There was a girl outside fishing for her keys so I went over to open the door. The guys put the love seat down, and proceeded to pick up one of the couches from the lobby. I was curious to know why our furniture was walking away, so I asked the two where the couch would be going.
"Same place that one came from," the one snapped at me.
"Where is that?" I asked calmly, although I was a bit peeved now.
He angrily told me not to worry about it because they "weren't stealing the couch!"
Now really was that necessary? I asked a simple question, got yelled at, and then resorted to yelling back and getting upset. All over a stupid couch.
I have noticed that typically, when an opportunity presents itself, people are rude. Especially teenagers and young adults.
The Merriam-Webster definition for "rude" is "implies ignorance of or indifference to good form; it may suggest intentional discourtesy."
You see rudeness everywhere - driving on the interstate, waiting in a slow line, and making snide comments in a class or meeting.
If everyone is guilty of the same crime, is it still wrong?
I got riled up in the aforementioned story, not because my building's sofa was being taken away, but because the culprits were really rude about it. Honestly, if they had told me that they were taking it to the Mississippi apartments because they needed more seating, I would have been fine with it.
Why is it that our society has become so accustomed to impolite behavior that it has become acceptable?
I am not going to go on and tell everyone that if they were nicer to others the world would be a better place. There will still be war, famine and strife. However, if five people that read this paper were to smile at the non-Taco Bell cashier, instead of rolling their eyes, maybe they would get food faster. If each person that does laundry on campus were to clean up after they were done, then the next person would not be grossed out because there is spilled detergent all over.
The moral of the story is to be polite. Whether or not you believe in karma, your actions usualy come back around and affect you. If you are nice and polite, you will more often get your way, and your life will be happier.
Not only was the sofa back in the lobby by the end of the day, but we also got to keep the love seat.
"Same place that one came from," the one snapped at me.
"Where is that?" I asked calmly, although I was a bit peeved now.
He angrily told me not to worry about it because they "weren't stealing the couch!"
Now really was that necessary? I asked a simple question, got yelled at, and then resorted to yelling back and getting upset. All over a stupid couch.
I have noticed that typically, when an opportunity presents itself, people are rude. Especially teenagers and young adults.
The Merriam-Webster definition for "rude" is "implies ignorance of or indifference to good form; it may suggest intentional discourtesy."
You see rudeness everywhere - driving on the interstate, waiting in a slow line, and making snide comments in a class or meeting.
If everyone is guilty of the same crime, is it still wrong?
I got riled up in the aforementioned story, not because my building's sofa was being taken away, but because the culprits were really rude about it. Honestly, if they had told me that they were taking it to the Mississippi apartments because they needed more seating, I would have been fine with it.
Why is it that our society has become so accustomed to impolite behavior that it has become acceptable?
I am not going to go on and tell everyone that if they were nicer to others the world would be a better place. There will still be war, famine and strife. However, if five people that read this paper were to smile at the non-Taco Bell cashier, instead of rolling their eyes, maybe they would get food faster. If each person that does laundry on campus were to clean up after they were done, then the next person would not be grossed out because there is spilled detergent all over.
The moral of the story is to be polite. Whether or not you believe in karma, your actions usualy come back around and affect you. If you are nice and polite, you will more often get your way, and your life will be happier.
Not only was the sofa back in the lobby by the end of the day, but we also got to keep the love seat.
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