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Transcript:
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0306 – 2167/07/07/09:04 - sidewalk
LC: Why do we say “please”, anyway? Why does that one magic word suddenly make you “polite”? Who are we pleasing, exactly?
Zoa: Ah, I do believe I can answer that by switching languages again – en Français!
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Zoa: Y’see, we’ve abbreviated it to just the word “please” here in English, but in French they still say the full phrase “s’il vous plait”, which means “if it would please you”.
Zoa: In theory, what Caleb just said was “you may also call me ‘Caleb’ or ‘Mezzer Paratta’ if doing so would please you”.
Zoa: And it does please me. I am pleased by it.
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CP: It c-clarifies that the request is n-not an order. Y-you could do it or not d-do it if you w-want.
LC: Wait, you mean, my whole life, any time anyone’s told me to do something and added the word “please”, I could’ve just... not? There’s a lot of things I’ve done that didn’t please me!
Zoa: Well, if we’re talking about parents or teachers (as I suspect we are), I think it’s more a case of eating your vegetables not being particularly pleasing, but still pleasing you more than the consequences of not.
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LC: Y’know, an authority figure saying “you can do as I say or you can get punished, choose whichever option would please you the most” doesn’t strike me as being particularly polite, actually.
CP: T-try it w-with an authority figure that c-c-could court martial you.
Zoa: Oh, by all means, you guys, let’s get into a consequences-for-disobedience measuring contest, I’ve got a pretty good idea of who wins that one.
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