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Learning to be grateful Years ago when I first visited USA, I was impressed by the frequency of people say “thank you” to each other. They say it to cashiers at supermarket, to waiters and waitresses at restaurant, and to people who make way for them to pass when they walk their dogs. Thank-you is said as frequently between husband and wife, between parents and . It’s said to anyone regardless family or friends or strangers. As a result, I have learned to say “thank you” more often when I returned to my country. Once somebody at my work said to me: “Why you always say “thank you”, don’t be too courteous.” I took in as a compliment, while knowing that I probably said it more than I was supposed to. But later when I came to visit USA again, I found that on many occasions, I should have said “thank-you” but I did not. I took it as I did not t have the habit to say it yet. The other day a lady gave me a ride to food market. On the way back, she had to stop at a place to do something, and I stayed in the car waiting for her and her . When she came back, she said “Thank you for letting us stop there”, and I said” Thank you for giving me a ride”. And I meant it. I said it out of my heart. I really felt grateful. Then I realized that saying thanks is more than just a habit, it’s surely not only courtesy. It is to express your gratitude when you are grateful for what people have done to you. It is a way of learning to appreciate people’s kindness. It is a way to learn to be grateful. Of course, in some cultures, people can be grateful but still don’t say thanks as often to each other. That is fine, because it’s their culture. Nothing wrong with it. But it is nice to hear people say thanks to us. It’s a nice feeling, because you know that you did some good deeds and it’s appreciated. We all need to be appreciated, one way or another. When we are grateful, we don’t take other people’s kindness for granted. And by saying thanks, we let people know that we see their kindness and we appreciate it, which would encourage people to do more good deeds and we also learn to do good deeds. When we are grateful, we feel warm in our heart. And when we say thank you, it made other people feel good too. It has two-way effects. |
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Consideration and Courtesy is always a things of beauty when it comes from the heart. so many people are so inconsiderate and consumed in self, and other so full of expectations, they don't know how to be grateful for the small things others do. I've seen women so tripped out thinking someone is trying to hit on them, they can't even be nice and social people. I've seen guys who are so busy being competitive and some thinking others are submitting to them, because one is considerate and courteous, until... the ignorance of it all is often astounding. There is two doors to exist a particular building, I held the first door for a woman and she walked through,instead of her opening the second door for herself and maybe hold it to allow me to grab it and go through it, she stood there at the second door waiting on me to open it as well. It's insidious. At least in the morning when I go for coffee, the men not only will hold a door for other men, they hold it for women, they say thank you when its held for them, and some women I've seen go through the held open doors and never say thank you. Consideration is a wonderful thing if people simply embrace it within their living daily conduct of self.
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Long ago when I visited Japan (1974) I found them to incredibly polite. Many ways to say please and thank you and other courtesy behaviors. It changed my behavior to some degree for the rest of my life, right up till now. It is interesting to see from another's viewpoint that Americans have this point of politeness. Thank you for sharing it.
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