If being rude is spending social capital, does that suggest that we ought to be at least a little rude? Capital that can’t be spent is no capital at all. (At least for some forms of capital.) On the other hand, should we be thinking about politeness more like trust, which is in some ways the opposite of expendable resources: typically, the best play with trust is to maintain it indefinitely?
I do think “if you’ve never been rude, you’re probably not being rude enough.”
I think rudeness/politeness isn’t the same thing as trust.
I started to write some off-the-cuff stuff expanding on this point but realized it was actually gnarlier than I realized and am gonna hold off till I’ve thought more.
If being rude is spending social capital, does that suggest that we ought to be at least a little rude? Capital that can’t be spent is no capital at all. (At least for some forms of capital.) On the other hand, should we be thinking about politeness more like trust, which is in some ways the opposite of expendable resources: typically, the best play with trust is to maintain it indefinitely?
I do think “if you’ve never been rude, you’re probably not being rude enough.”
I think rudeness/politeness isn’t the same thing as trust.
I started to write some off-the-cuff stuff expanding on this point but realized it was actually gnarlier than I realized and am gonna hold off till I’ve thought more.