In the West, “thank you” is everywhere. At shops, in classrooms, even among close friends. It can feel routine, but it also makes acknowledgment automatic.
In South Asia, gratitude is quieter. Respect is shown through tone, service, or silence. Saying “thank you” to family or friends can feel unnecessary, even awkward, because gratitude is assumed.
The problem is, when thanks stays unspoken, it is easy for it to be missed. People can feel taken for granted, even when respect is there.
Politeness is not just a matter of etiquette. It is a kind of social technology that lowers friction in everyday life. A society where people acknowledge one another is easier to live in because cooperation feels natural rather than forced.
When respect becomes routine, something deeper happens. People begin to feel a sense of responsibility toward others. Social responsibility begins with noticing, and saying “sorry” or “thank you” is one way of noticing. Once you build the habit of noticing in small interactions, it extends to larger ones. You do not just avoid bumping into someone on the train. You also become more aware of how your choices affect others in your community.
What might help is to make small words part of daily life. Start with “sorry.” On a crowded train, you say sorry when you bump someone, then thank you when they move. That simple pattern of apology followed by gratitude makes respect visible. Over time, it could shift the habit from assuming to acknowledging.
I once read about Solomon Asch’s famous conformity experiments in the 1950s. In these studies, participants were asked to judge the length of lines on a card while seated with a group of other people. When the group deliberately gave wrong answers, most individuals went along with the majority even though their own eyes told them otherwise. The lesson was simple but powerful: people tend to adopt group behavior, even when it contradicts their private judgment.
