I love discussions of language. IMHO, when you play this game of claiming word misuse, you have to draw a distinction with the other words you feel are more app

I love discussions of language. IMHO, when you play this game of claiming word misuse, you have to draw a distinction with the other words you feel are more appropriate. The words you mean when you say the other word. Then the claim would be ‘polite’ and ‘respectful’ are what people really mean when they say someone is ‘nice’. I like it! Nice wants to be your friend. We all need friends. I agree ‘respect’ is a quality I appreciate, and ‘disrespect’ is an aggressive attitude. Suggests a power imbalance. But ‘polite’? Is it specifically required in business? Retail, certainly helps. What do you have when someone is polite, but ‘unfair’? Or how about when someone acts ‘respectful’, but they ignore the details of what you’re saying? At that point ‘clarity’ is more important. And I like it when people get to the point. Too much ‘respectful’ and ‘polite’ talk can just be word salad working to confuse the issues. (Some offshore customer service people say things like, _I understand your concern_ or, _i understand how frustrated you must feel_ but do they? Or are they just trained to say that?) I’m in business services, so we value brief and pointed conversations. But who is fooled by ‘nice’ anyway—work colleagues and associates are not your friends. You didn’t choose who you work with. You can become friends, but at the end of the day who’s going to quit their job, or willingly lose money to be your friend?