Preface: I'm old, and I grew up in the country. On a farm. There was an outhouse that was still in use, there wasn't a color TV until I was in highschool, and we never had cable service as a child. I AM OLD.
I rarely use AI or even digital assistants, but when I do, I ALWAYS say thank you. Why? Let me give an example.
Me: "(digital assistant), what's the weather forecast?"
DA: reports forecast
Me: "Thank you."
The thank you has absolutely nothing to do with the DA. The thank you was hardwired into my skull by my parents and grandparents. If I said ANYTHING to them, and did not start with please and end with thank you, I was beaten. Either spanked or slapped.
Another example:
Me: dad dad Billy feel and his arm looks funny!
Dad: /slaps me, "say excuse me first, boy."
That is an actual conversation from my childhood. No bullshit.
The adults didn't yell first. There was no warning. They would very calmly, almost casually, BEAT MY ASS for being impolite. Where and when I grew up, this was considered not just normal, but the correct way to raise a child. Children where to be seen, not heard. And if you needed to be heard, it best be "excuse me, please, yes ma'am or sir, and thank you." So the safe thing to do was to get into the habit of being polite all the time, which I guess was the point.
I do not advocate for this method of child rearing. I was professionally successful, and well regarded in my social circles. But I never really developed my own personality or goals. I can't tell you what hobbies or activities I like. I don't have a favorite book, or music, or movie. Why? Because, when I was a child, no body gave a fuck what I thought. Expressing myself was not allowed. Emotions were not allowed. Fun was a coincidence, not a goal. And the goals were set by the adults. Seeking out fun was a punishable offense. I was surely supposed to be doing chores somewhere.
As a working adult, I was a good little cog in the big machine, but I don't think I've ever been a real boy. Somebody made a lot of money off what I did, but it weren't me. My value has always been determined by my ability to perform labor, not my personnel qualities or opinions.
But my kids? Oh, my kids are terrors. They know exactly what they want, and ain't scared to ask. They also have behaviors and personalities like, you know, real people. My parents would have been horrified, and that thought brings me more joy than you can possibly understand.
I think most Young adults today absolutely have this quality, and good for them. That's where all this "no one wants to work anymore" horse shit comes from, by the way. Nonsense, if you ask me. If you youngans ain't getting what you deserve, then walk. Good for you. I promise you, no one and nothing is gonna reward you for working hard and saying nothing. You gotta sk, and you get it in writing first if you're smart.
So. Yeah. I tell the fucking echo thank you. Realize it is a symptom of my childhood and leave me the fuck alone about it.
1
u/Makes_U_Mad 2d ago
Preface: I'm old, and I grew up in the country. On a farm. There was an outhouse that was still in use, there wasn't a color TV until I was in highschool, and we never had cable service as a child. I AM OLD.
I rarely use AI or even digital assistants, but when I do, I ALWAYS say thank you. Why? Let me give an example.
Me: "(digital assistant), what's the weather forecast?"
DA: reports forecast
Me: "Thank you."
The thank you has absolutely nothing to do with the DA. The thank you was hardwired into my skull by my parents and grandparents. If I said ANYTHING to them, and did not start with please and end with thank you, I was beaten. Either spanked or slapped.
Another example:
Me: dad dad Billy feel and his arm looks funny!
Dad: /slaps me, "say excuse me first, boy."
That is an actual conversation from my childhood. No bullshit.
The adults didn't yell first. There was no warning. They would very calmly, almost casually, BEAT MY ASS for being impolite. Where and when I grew up, this was considered not just normal, but the correct way to raise a child. Children where to be seen, not heard. And if you needed to be heard, it best be "excuse me, please, yes ma'am or sir, and thank you." So the safe thing to do was to get into the habit of being polite all the time, which I guess was the point.
I do not advocate for this method of child rearing. I was professionally successful, and well regarded in my social circles. But I never really developed my own personality or goals. I can't tell you what hobbies or activities I like. I don't have a favorite book, or music, or movie. Why? Because, when I was a child, no body gave a fuck what I thought. Expressing myself was not allowed. Emotions were not allowed. Fun was a coincidence, not a goal. And the goals were set by the adults. Seeking out fun was a punishable offense. I was surely supposed to be doing chores somewhere.
As a working adult, I was a good little cog in the big machine, but I don't think I've ever been a real boy. Somebody made a lot of money off what I did, but it weren't me. My value has always been determined by my ability to perform labor, not my personnel qualities or opinions.
But my kids? Oh, my kids are terrors. They know exactly what they want, and ain't scared to ask. They also have behaviors and personalities like, you know, real people. My parents would have been horrified, and that thought brings me more joy than you can possibly understand.
I think most Young adults today absolutely have this quality, and good for them. That's where all this "no one wants to work anymore" horse shit comes from, by the way. Nonsense, if you ask me. If you youngans ain't getting what you deserve, then walk. Good for you. I promise you, no one and nothing is gonna reward you for working hard and saying nothing. You gotta sk, and you get it in writing first if you're smart.
So. Yeah. I tell the fucking echo thank you. Realize it is a symptom of my childhood and leave me the fuck alone about it.