It seems to be the appropriate time of the year to address graciousness. I've caught myself doing this now and again. I've noticed that my family does it semi-regularly, which is probably why, until recently, I never thought twice about it.
If someone says something ingratiating to you, be gracious back. If someone compliments you, receive the compliment. If you cook a nice meal and someone says, "hey, great meal," it's borderline un-classy to not say 'thank you' in response. I hear so many people say, in response to the above, something along the lines of, "yeah it came together didn't it," or, "yeah I'm surprised that it turned out so well considering I have never made it before." These types of responses completely belittle the fact that someone went out of their way to praise you.
It's like giving a gift. Part of the joy in giving gifts is enjoying the responses of those whom which we give gifts to. It's a matter of vulnerability. We don't want to say thank you in those types of scenarios because it makes us feel vulnerable or uncomfortable for some reason. It could be because we don't think we particularly deserve the praise. This line of thought just highlights the fact that we are thinking about ourselves even in the midst praise, when our attention should be focused on those who praised us. They deserve to hear a 'thank you.'
Something else goes along with this: parents vehemently teach their children to say thank you; but what about you're welcome? If someone says 'thank you' to you, for the aforementioned reasons, say 'you're welcome' back.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
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