Saturday, November 2, 2024

Simple but hard to say: ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’

By far, the words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ seem to be among the hardest words that people, in this case Batswana, use on a daily basis.

People seem to rather underestimate the importance of including these three words in their vocabulary.

One would be left to wonder if these words have never been part of most people’s vocabulary when they were growing up or they simply choose to ignore their existence.

Please and thank you do go hand in hand; they are almost inseparable if you ask me. This is because you say ‘please’ when you ask for something and after you get it, to show gratitude, you say your ‘thank you’.

Growing up, kids are taught to always ask before they can take or use something. This asking is not just some random asking. It has to be done in a way that is pleasant and which does not make the second party take offence, hence ‘please’ comes in.

In all essence, this is done to groom a child and mould their behavior so they can grow up with a desirable attitude.

Often when you say please it’s hard for the next person to turn your request down. Provided it’s a reasonable request that is.

Upon close inspection, it becomes obvious that ‘please’ is a part of good manners. Good manners tend to indicate respect, care and consideration not only for the next person’s feelings but for the good of the conversation.

It’s only common sense that people prefer a reasonable amount of respect. ‘Please’ happens to be amongst those figures of speech that contribute to that amount of respect. Imagine walking up to someone and asking for something without even saying the ‘please’ word. To them, it might sound more like an instruction than a request.

Better yet, imagine that person giving you the help you want and you don’t say thank you. Apart from it being rude, it’s also a gesture that indicates ungratefulness. That’s why as kids grow up, parents instill a sense that shows their kids it’s wrong not to say ‘thank you’.

Regardless of how little a favour might be, it’s a must to learn to say thank you to acknowledge that you have seen the effort put in by the other person. When you do this, those favours will always come across your way, for one simple reason that you show appreciation when it’s due.
So think before rudely shoving your weight on to the person sitting next to you in a kombi because the kombi man wants to make an extra buck by making you sit crowded in one chair.

Just ask nicely with a ‘please’ in your sentence and a ‘thank you’ to conclude the deal.
You stand to lose nothing but have everything to gain. Besides, you won’t develop any blisters on your tongue or have a bitter taste left in your mouth. It’s just that easy.

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