polite-ical speech

I've always been someone to stand for politeness, and not just as a mere courtesy. It's the act of reciprocation, being kind towards someone who is kind towards you. To me, politeness isn't simply smiling at someone in the halls, or saying "please and thank you", it is what helps us be thoughtful about our conduct and be aware of the feelings of others. However, I've noticed that politeness doesn't operate like this in the realm of politics.

In politics, politeness is often synonymous to "fakeness" and insincerity. While politeness may stem from the need to gain a social approval from an individual, it also promotes kindness and humility. But politeness in politics is seen as a superficial facade. With an agenda behind being polite, it hardly counts. While it should come from the heart, it is instead abused, creating an apparent facade visible to the public. Additionally, the competitive nature of politics can lead to the strategic use of politeness which can be used as a manipulation tactic. Furthermore, this perception the audience gains comes arises from the frequent disparity between politicians' public decorum and their private actions or public agendas. Therefore, politeness should come from the inside and not from a superficial need to prioritize interests. 

It is important for words and actions to correlate. While being polite may improve social relations, it can often be misused. In politics, genuine transparency and accountability are essential for fostering trust and maintain self-integrity. Politeness holds the power to unite society, but also just enough power to destroy trust.

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 17, 2024 at 8:22 PM

    I like how your title encompassed your point in just two words. It was also nice how you connected political speech to politics to help support your claim.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rhea PawarMarch 18, 2024 at 8:59 PM

    I liked the play on words in your title and how you further elaborate on this throughout your blog. I thought your point about how politeness is often associated with fakeness and then also when this is the motive it looses its sincerity was really insightful!

    ReplyDelete

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