A Manner of Speaking ...

[Sukerkin]

I came across this fascinating little article on the BBC and thought I would share with my cousins from across the Atlantic to see what their views on the matter were:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13545386

I have come across this, in a small way, here at MT where it had been clear in some cases that misunderstanding of intent or depth of passion has taken place. I find it particularly apparent, as a reader, for those posters from some of the Southern states, like Texas. Sometimes I have to take a moment to haul my eyebrows down again after reading a spectacularly bluntly phrased remark :lol:.

 

[jks9199]

Very interesting article -- and definitely something to think about. We've said it often; textual communication loses a lot of nuance that we give spoken or face to face communication through tone of voice, expression, and other nonverbal cues. Different styles also come across differently. I'm sure some of my writing comes across much more formally because I rarely use informal phrasings in writing, for example.

 

[girlbug2]

The fact that there is such a thing as the Journal of Politeness Research speaks volumes about Britain!

 

[Sukerkin]

:chuckles: Aye.

Though I have to say that, in part, I think our elaborate rituals of polite interaction are a consequence of the fact that we have, in the past, been a right violent lot of so-and-so's.

As I've mentioned a few times, it's my opinion that an armed society is a polite society. Given that we had to have regulations even in the House of Commons as to how close the two sides can be to each other - otherwise they used to stab each other! {see note {*} below} - you can see we used to be very fractious indeed. Hence, we developed our now 'signature' politeness as a way of hopefully keeping axes out of our ribs .

{*}That's why there are strips on the floor, further apart than two swords held in the lunge, behind which the Members must stand and why the Speaker of the House has a mace near at hand :lol:.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Well I suppose I should get this in before Bob puts the new rules in effect

Sukerkin how dare you.... you…..:soapbox: :uhyeah:

Actually I learned something from that article…. Germans do not like small talk…. This may explain why I don’t much like it either and why I am really not good at it… my heritage is well over 50% German.
Basic cultural differences that is all. I run smack into a lot of them in my own home...

 

[WC_lun]

This is an interesting article. Thanks for posting it.