politeness

Canadian

dad joke

eating

Japan

Japanese (language)

Japanese culture

untranslatable word

gratefulness

helping

incompetence

apologizing

trivia

clown

artificial intelligence

alexa

burden

nervous breakdown

emotional health

mopping

jargon

1990s

driving

crossing the street

crosswalk

kindness

sanity

being fed up

be yourself

sensitivity

sincerity

awkwardness

communication skills

subtext

passivity

service industry

retail work

being considerate

, in Japan, is not simply insincerity. The Japanese are well aware that something which may appear superficial and unnecessary, has a much deeper structural function.. .. A ridiculous thing at a deeper level might play a stabilizing function we are not aware of.

What I see in Japan, and maybe this is my own myth, is that behind all these notions of politeness, snobbism etc. The Japanese are well aware that something which may appear superficial and unnecessary, has a much deeper structural function. A Western approach would be: who needs this' But a totally ridiculous thing at a deeper level might play a stabilizing function we are not aware of. Everybody laughs at the English monarchy, but you'll never know.

Japanese society

is a certain attention that causes others to be content with us and with themselves.

It seems to me that the spirit of politeness is a certain attention in causing that, by our words and by our manners, others may be content with us and with themselves. Jean de la Bruyere

is a desire to be treated politely, and to be esteemed polite oneself.

Politeness is a desire to be treated politely, and to be esteemed polite oneself.Francois de La Rochefoucauld

is a false coin with which it is foolish to be stingy. To make enemies by unnecessary and willful incivility, is just as insane a proceeding as to set your house on fire.

It is a wise thing to be polite... consequently, it is a stupid thing to be rude. To make enemies by unnecessary and willful incivility, is just as insane a proceeding as to set your house on fire. For politeness is like a counter-- an avowedly false coin, with which it is foolish to be stingy. Arthur Schopenhauer

That roguish and cheerful vice, politeness. Friedrich Nietzsche

is an enigmatic status where we mean neither seriously nor ironically what we say. The polite exchange establishes a pact between us.

Therein resides the enigmatic status of what we call 'politeness': when, upon meeting an acquaintance, I say 'Glad to see you! How are you today'', it is clear to both of us that, in a way, I do not mean it seriously (if my acquaintance suspects that I am really interested, he may even be unpleasantly surprised, as though I were aiming at something too intimate and of no concern to me or, to paraphrase the old Freudian joke, 'Why are you saying you're glad to see me, when you're really glad to see me''). However, it would nonetheless be wrong to designate my act as hypocritical, since, in another way, I do mean it: the polite exchange does establish a kind of pact between the two of us... in the same sense as I do 'sincerely' laugh through the canned laughter (the proof of it being the fact that I effectively do feel relieved afterwards). (Zizek 'how to read lacan' : 27)

is an interpassive activity whereby we accomplish a task concerning our inner feelings and beliefs without really mobilizing these inner states. When we say 'glad to see you! How are you today'' It is clear to both of us that, in a way, I do not mean it seriously, but on a deeper level we would mean it if we bothered to think about it.

This brings us to the next feature of the symbolic order: its non-psychological character. When I believe through another or have my beliefs externalized in the ritual I mechanically follow, when I laugh the TV set emanating canned laughter or do the work of mourning through weepers, I accomplish a task concerning my inner feelings and beliefs without really mobilizing these inner states. Therein resides the enigmatic status of what we call 'politeness': when, upon meeting an acquaintance, I say 'Glad to see you! How are you today'', it is clear to both of us that, in a way, I do not mean it seriously (if my acquaintance suspects that I am really interested, he may even be unpleasantly surprised, as though I were aiming at something too intimate and of no concern to me or, to paraphrase the old Freudian joke, 'Why are you saying you're glad to see me, when you're really glad to see me''). (Zizek 'how to read lacan' : 27)

politeness, n.Dad Jokes

Keep exploring politeness→

politeness