In last Sunday’s “Social Q’s” column in The New York Times, Jennifer from Waccabuc, N.Y., described a man correcting her son for not saying “you’re welcome” after the man had thanked him for holding a ...

Want to stay current with Arthur’s writing? Sign up to get an email every time a new column comes out. “A dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness,” wrote Robert Heinlein in his 1982 ...

“You can say everything, but not in every way.” —Michael Haneke Human beings are social creatures whose interactions with others are essential to their well-being. We are socially conditioned to be ...

In many cultures, “please” and “thank you” are essential expressions of politeness that lubricate social interactions and promote cooperation and reciprocation. “Please” is a shortened form of the ...