They’ll ask me to do something, and then a few seconds later they add, “Please, thank you,” as if they realized that they have to say it.
Even just in the US this is very regionally different and not really something I associate with generational cultures. Like in Tenn/Bama/Georgia it is very expected but means nothing. In Southern California it is rare, but actually means something when said.
What does it mean that “please” and “thank you” mean nothing? I am genuinely confused.
automatic response, same as when someone says “how’s it going” to a cashier, and the person responds “good”. this interaction rarely means anything other than formality. The person asking doesn’t usually want to know, and the person responding doesn’t usually want to tell
In some parts of the country, people wont even tell you to “go fuck yourself” without throwing a “please” in there. Is “please go fuck yourself” any more polite than just “go fuck yourself”? The word “please” is so overused as to have no inherent meaning at all. For all intents and purposes, the entire word “please” is just a new kind of punctuation. We finish sentences that end in questions with a question mark, and we initiate sentences that are a request with the word “please”…but it’s just basically a form of punctuation at this point.
Not the person you asked, but in my experience some people say “please” even if they don’t mean it—ie they’re not actually politely asking you, but telling you to do so in a pseudo-polite manner. They expect you to do it regardless. Similarly, “automatic thank yous” they aren’t actually grateful, they feel you were obligated to do the task and just know “thank you” should be said so it’s an afterthought.
Imagine someone handing you a bag of garbage and saying “take this to the garage thanks” all in one breath and walking away.
