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Do you ever wish that you had superpowers? When I was a student, I sometimes wished I had a computer in my brain to store and retrieve all the numerous things I was learning. Well, we might not have such superpowers, but we have a secret power in the form of the 5 magical words.
I decided to write about the 5 magical words because of something I experienced a few weeks ago. I was queuing in the supermarket to pay for my items. There were two other people ahead of me. Suddenly, a middle-aged woman came and jumped the queue – she went straight to the cashier.
The people in our queue and I were shocked, and we decided to call the woman out. Why was she jumping the queue? Why wasn’t she queuing like the rest of us?
She answered rudely that she was in a hurry and had only one item while the rest of us had baskets full of items.
We hit the roof because of her ill-manners. To make a long story short, we told her to go to the end of the queue. She cursed and made faces as she went to the end of the line.
Suppose the woman was well-mannered. We most probably would have allowed her to jump the queue. She just needed to use one of the 5 magical words to melt our hearts. Since she didn’t use any of the 5 magical words, we felt she wasn’t a well-mannered person.
5 Magical Words That Show You Are a Well-mannered Person Even If You Don’t Know It
Do you remember the good manners your parents/guardians taught you as a child? Those good manners are still applicable in the 21st century – they are timeless. Good manners include using the 5 magical words in your daily life.
When you use the 5 magical words, they melt people’s hearts. Also, when you use them, people think you are well-mannered, even if you don’t know it. In other words, magical words work like magic no matter where you are.
Below are the 5 magical words:
1. Excuse Me
The First magical words on the list are, excuse me. You should use excuse me as a polite apology in different scenarios, such as:
When trying to get someone’s attention: For instance, the lady at the supermarket could have approached the person at the head of the queue and told her, “Excuse me, I’m a bit late and have only one item. Please allow me to jump the queue.”
When you’ve interrupted someone: When a person is talking and you want to interrupt them, you can make a polite apology by saying, “Excuse me….”.
When you unintentionally disturb someone: The words excuse me work wonders when you disturb someone unintentionally. For example, if someone is blocking the way, you can ask them politely, “Excuse me, may I pass.”
When you want to leave a place: When you want to leave a place without offending other people’s feelings, it’s best to use the words excuse me. When you do so, you’re politely apologizing for leaving.
To acknowledge something embarrassing: This may include sneezing or burping.
When you use the words excuse me, you come out as:
- Polite
- Considerate
- Respectful
- Humble
These are all signs that you’re a well-mannered person even if you might not realize it.
2. Please
Please is one of the most powerful magical words, and you should use it regardless of your age. We normally use this word when making a request. When you use the word, please, it softens people’s hearts, and they can’t help reacting positively to your request.
For instance, if the woman at the supermarket had said the following, “Hi, I’m in a big hurry, and I only have one item to pay for. Please allow me to jump the queue”. We most probably would have gladly allowed her to jump the queue.
Here’s why the word please is magical:
The word please conveys humility: When you use the magical word, please, you convey to someone that you don’t have a sense of entitlement. A person with humility is likely to melt people’s hearts.
It shows you are respectful: The way the lady went straight to the cashier without our permission was disrespectful. The least she could have done was to respectfully ask us to allow her to jump the queue.
The word please shows you’re polite: A polite person is likable. People usually dislike a rude person instantly. When you use the word, please, you come out as a polite person and you melt people’s hearts.
It shows you’re a considerate person: When you use the word please, you convey to the world that you are a considerate person. In other words, you care about the feelings of others and therefore use the word please to show them that you care.
The word please can get you help when you need it most. When you use this word, it sets the tone for whatever follows. In addition, when you use it, you convey to others that you are a well-mannered person.
3. Thank You
Thank you is the other magical word. Thank you is basically a polite expression you use to express gratitude. In other words, when you say thank you, you convey the following to the person:
- That you don’t have a sense of entitlement – a sign of humility.
- You are grateful for what they have done for you or given you.
- That you appreciate the person’s efforts.
- That you don’t take him/her for granted.
Your opportunities to say thank you include the following:
- When somebody gives you a gift or an award.
- When someone does you a favor like opening the car door or allowing you to jump the queue.
- When someone calls/texts to check in on you.
- When refusing or accepting an offer.
It’s also good to say thank you even when you’re paying for a service or product. Doing so makes the seller feel appreciated, and this motivates them.
I urge you to make it a habit to say thank you even for the smallest act of kindness. The reason is that using the words thank you is a hallmark of a well-mannered person.
4. You’re welcome
When someone says “thank you” to you, the magical words you should use are, you’re welcome. Have you ever thought about the real meaning of these magical words?
When you use the magical phrase, you’re welcome, it means you’re politely and graciously accepting the person’s gratitude.
The phrase, you’re welcome also makes the other person know that they are ‘under no obligation’. In other words, you did something for them or gave them something out of kindness. You thus don’t expect anything in return.
When you tell someone, you’re welcome, the person regards you as:
- Gracious
- Polite
- Generous
- Helpful
Note: Sometimes you are tempted to say things like ‘forget it’ or ‘it was nothing’ when someone thanks you. When you say such things, it may show the person that you place no value in what you did. It’s better to accept the credit for your kindness graciously with the magical words, you’re welcome.
In other words, when you use the phrase, you’re welcome, you come out as a well-mannered person. You might leave a lasting impression on the person.
5. Sorry
Last but not least, sorry is a powerful magical word that shows you’re well-mannered. It’s good to use the word sorry to apologize whenever you make a mistake. It shows that you’re genuinely remorseful for your actions.
Sorry is a powerful magical word because it does the following:
- It brings forgiveness
- It creates peace
- It brings healing
- It brings reconciliation
I think the word sorry is the most difficult magical word to use. The reason is that many people feel like saying sorry makes them weak. Saying sorry doesn’t make you weak, it shows your strength of character.
Here are other things that using the word sorry says about you:
- That you are a responsible person – you take responsibility for your actions.
- You’re a humble person – proud people find it hard to say sorry.
- You’re a caring person – you care about other people’s feelings.
It’s good to note that saying sorry is most of the time enough when apologizing. Keep it simple if you don’t know what else to say. There’s sometimes no need to elaborate.
Conclusion
Although we’re in the 21st century, the 5 magical words excuse me, please, thank you, you’re welcome, and sorry still work wonders. When you use any of these magical words, you make the people around you feel good about themselves.
Most importantly, using these 5 magical words tells the world you’re a decent, honorable, respectful, fair, responsible, and empathetic person. You’re the definition of a well-behaved person even if you don’t know it.
What do you think of people who use/don’t use the 5 magical words? Kindly share your views in the comments section below. Cheers!
3 Comments
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