The point of social formalities
Moving parts in rubbing contact require lubrication to avoid excessive wear. Honorifics and formal politeness provide the lubrication where people rub together. Often the very young, the untraveled, the naive, the unsophisticated deplore these formalities as “empty,” “meaningless,” or “dishonest,” and scorn to use them. No matter how “pure” their motives, they thereby throw sand into machinery that does not work too well at best.
-Robert A. Heinlein
November 10th, 2006 at 11:39 am
Social formalities at best require such work… If one does not show social politeness, etc., it would easy to offend others… we live in a fake world modelled after principals of social conformity… and society stresses social acceptance. This concept is hard at times for young people as the Robert Heinlein had suggested. Perhaps through time we all try to conform because it is necessary for social survival.