Comment:

There are a lot of polite little niceties we all use to make our way through society. Things like "how are you doing", "have a nice day", etc, actually just translate to "I like you", or, at least, "I mean you no harm".

The conflict, of course, comes when cultures clash. That which is unspoken or implied cannot be properly translated, and literal translations are often insufficient or misleading.

I would like, therefore, to introduce "polite". Many words, like "greetings" or "thanks" are the thing that they say they are - when you say "thanks", you are actually giving thanks; the signifier and the signified are the same thing. I think we should use a generic "polite" the same way. Don't bother with the bullshit. Just say "polite" for all that.

"Hey, polite."
"Polite. What's up?"
"Can you get this thing for me?"
"Sure."
"Polite."
"Polite!"

That's easier, right?

Transcript:

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0134 - 2167/07/06/15:40 - Lee Caldavera's apartment, front door.
CP: Lee, I'm sure you're good at... good at a lot of things.
LC: No, I'm really not.
CP: I'm sure you are.
Zoa: Again, with all due respect to all parties involved... what exactly are you basing that assessment on, Caleb?
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CP: Um... we're in the same class together.
Zoa: Lee is auditing Intro to Western Philosophy and only Intro to Western Philosophy. There was no entrance requirement other than physical attendance, and the grade they get in that class won't in any way be official.
CP: Uh... they seem... well-spoken?
Zoa: Well-spoken? You're getting "well-spoken" from the interactions you've had so far?
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LC: Jeez, Zoa, you don't have to grind me into the dirt, here.
Zoa: I'm not! Mezzer Paratta has stated that they are sure you're good at a lot of things. You don't seem to register compliments from AIs (which I can certainly understand, given our innate lack of objectivity with regards to human worth and value), but if a fellow human has determined that you're good at things, it must be for a legitimate reason!
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CP: Well, I mean... I was kind of just... being polite.
Zoa: ...or that, I guess.
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