Growing up, I was taught to always treat others with the highest degree of respect. My mom always told me, “The two words that will take you the farthest in life are ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’” I learned to address my elders, persons of authority, mentors, parents, etc. as "ma’am" or "sir," and I learned to always say "please" and "thank you."
Of course, as a kid, I didn’t really understand why my parents were so adamant about responding to their call from the other side of the house with "yes ma’am/sir?" instead of "what?" or "yeah?" I simply accepted it as a rule of the house.
Now, in hindsight, I am thrilled to have the background in etiquette that I do. I am grateful that good manners and respect were drilled into me throughout my childhood, because I see how useful these qualities are as an adult.
As a fortunate force of habit, now, I refer to my professors, my club leaders, my RAs, and occasionally even my friends as ma’am or sir. Whenever I ask for anything from anyone, I make sure to add a "please" in my request, and when they oblige (or even if they don’t), I always thank them for their kindness or their time.
Many times, I have addressed a professor or a friend’s parent as ma’am or sir, and they were momentarily taken aback. They tell me they aren’t used to being referred to that way, and they appreciate my good manners and polite conversation.
As simple as it may sound, these small little behavioral quirks can set you apart from a pool of job applicants. Being polite and well-mannered in front of potential employers (who could range from current professors to friends’ parents) can make a world of difference in these people’s perceptions of you.
Having put this etiquette to practice throughout my life and formal schooling, I can attest to the positive impression it makes to the people in my life. Many of my grade school report cards had notes from teachers praising me for my amiable and considerate demeanor, and other mentors have included anecdotes of my courteous civility in letters of recommendation.
To conclude, while "yes, ma’am" and "no, sir," "please" and "thank you" don’t seem like very significant displays of courtesy or politeness, you’d be surprised just how far those few words will take you. If you begin to show your elders as well as your peers the respect they deserve, you will then receive the same level of respect.
I challenge anyone reading this to spend the week using "ma’am," "sir," "please," and "thank you" as often as possible. See if you notice a difference in the way people treat you or if anyone mentions your politeness, and notice how it sounds when others don’t use the same polite words and phrases. Hopefully, you are all inspired now to be as kind and courteous as possible to everyone you meet.
