Polite & Respectful

Being polite to someone and respecting them are two different things.

I know that most dictionaries list these two words as synonyms, but let's look at the etymology of the word “polite.”

The word “polite” comes from the Latin “politus,” which means “polished,” or “made smooth.”

While a fact is being “polished,” it is losing some of its authenticity.

I prefer maintaining the exactness of the unpolished version to diminishing its veracity, meaning I prefer brutal honesty to polite lies, also meaning I prefer being blunt to being polite.

The way I see it, the polite, or polished, version of anything is not completely true and is, therefore, an untrue statement. Delivering an untrue statement to someone is not a sign of respect toward that person in my book.

So now, here are a few questions:

1. When you are polite to someone, as opposed to blunt, are you really honest with them?

2. When you are polite to someone, as opposed to blunt, do you really respect them?

3. Which do you prefer?
a) a person being polite to you

b) a person respecting you