Posts by Justin Barnes2

Carl Rivera43 said:If there actually are people who are genuinely, deeply kind, they make up a tiny fraction of the crowd.

So, I don't see what's so controversial about saying most "overly polite" people are just being fake.

Within that group of fakes, you’ve still got different types—some are totally aggressive, while others are just moderately pushy.

Look, you have to realize one thing: that overly sweet, polite vibe you see in American movies? For a huge chunk of people living here in the States, it just doesn't land. It's not interesting.

So, did you actually go ahead and run that poll?

So, based on everything we’ve discussed, I really don't see what the big deal is when I suggest that most people who are being overly polite are actually just being fundamentally insincere. It’s like when you’re at a stuffy corporate gala in New York and everyone is smiling through their teeth while secretly wishing they were anywhere else; that performative kindness isn't virtue, it's just a social mask used to navigate the room without making waves.

I need to circle back here—it’s nearly impossible to have a coherent conversation when we haven't even established what we mean by "excessive politeness." It’s a slippery slope. That being said, your assertion is certainly up for debate, just as my own claim—that most people in these situations are actually acting in good faith—would be just as controversial if I stood by it categorically. Generalizing is a nasty habit, honestly, even when you think you're aiming for something positive. It lacks nuance and, frankly, it's lazy. For instance, there isn't much of a logical leap between saying "I think Irish people are great" and "I think Mexicans are total garbage." Both statements are fundamentally unreliable and quite frankly ridiculous because they rely entirely on sweeping generalizations rather than individual reality.

Look, you all really need to grasp one fundamental thing here: those overly polite, saccharine little clichés we see shoved down our throats in American movies? For a huge chunk of the people living in this country, that stuff just isn't interesting. It’s completely unengaging.

I honestly fail to see how American movies have anything to do with this topic at all. To my mind, we’re really talking about something much more fundamental—it's about basic upbringing, manners, and having a shred of social decorum. If you rephrase what you just said, you’re essentially implying that a significant portion of the people around here are just unrefined, backwoods types. But, as I’ve already noted, I generally try to avoid making sweeping generalizations...☕

This topic is a bit of a minefield to navigate, mostly because the original poster didn't bother to actually define what they mean by "excessive politeness." But honestly, watching how everyone else is reacting is far more fascinating than the prompt itself. I’m not sure how old most people in this thread are, but isn't it a little childish to lump an entire group of people—those labeled as being overly polite—into one big bucket and then smear them with such nasty adjectives? Don't get me wrong, you'll certainly find some two-faced actors in that crowd, along with all sorts of personalities, but there are also undoubtedly people who are genuinely like that simply because they want to show respect to others. Based on some of these comments, you'd think those polite folks are the only villains in the story, while the angry types or the ones sitting somewhere in the middle are somehow perfectly fine. Personally, I’ve always felt that sweeping generalizations are one of the worst flaws a human can possess. It’s arguably even worse than that fake, hypocritical politeness we're discussing here...