Being Polite - Short Stories
Being Polite
I walked with a friend to the newsstand the other night, and he bought a paper, thanking the owner politely.
The owner, however, did not even acknowledge it.
“A sullen fellow, isn’t he?” I commented as we walked away.
“Oh, he’s that way every night,” shrugged my friend.
“Then why do you continue being so polite to him?” I asked.
And my friend replied, “Why should I let him determine how I’m going to react?”
- Sidney J. Harris