Psychology says people who thank the waiter three times, apologise for asking a follow-up question, and over-tip for average service aren't unusually polite, they were raised to believe their comfort was an imposition on other people

Psychology says people who thank the waiter three times, apologise for asking a follow-up question, and over-tip for average service aren't unusually polite, they were raised to believe their comfort was an imposition on other people

The person who thanks the server three times, apologizes for asking a waiter to repeat the specials, and leaves a thirty percent tip on a mediocre burger is often described by friends as considerate. The description is usually correct. It is also usually incomplete. What looks like unusual politeness can be something else in disguise: a set of behaviors trained into a person early, by a household that treated their needs as a kind of small tresp…