{"id":563,"date":"2021-12-29T19:00:55","date_gmt":"2021-12-29T18:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=105426"},"modified":"2021-12-29T19:19:10","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T18:19:10","slug":"why-is-being-polite-all-the-time-so-exhausting","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/why-is-being-polite-all-the-time-so-exhausting\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is being polite all the time so exhausting?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Christian Jarrett\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 29 December 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Being polite at work when you don\u2019t feel like it is similar to any situation in life that requires you to make the effort to mask your true feelings. That could be feigning gratitude for that revolting meal your partner just spent hours making for you, or putting on a brave smile for the birthday socks from your aunt that you really didn\u2019t want.<\/p>\n

As you say, it\u2019s exhausting, especially if your job means you have to do it all day long. In a work context, psychologists call it \u2018emotional labour\u2019, which involves either \u2018surface acting\u2019 \u2013 concealing your true feelings \u2013 or \u2018deep acting\u2019.<\/p>\n

The latter means altering your actual underlying feelings, which can be achieved by various means, such as reappraising the scenario. For example, by taking the perspective of an irate customer and so genuinely sympathising with their situation.<\/p>\n

Due to the effort and emotional regulation involved, both forms of emotional labour can be tiring. But there\u2019s some evidence that the deep acting version is better for the employee and customers \u2013 probably because it\u2019s more convincing and it creates a virtuous feedback loop in which the employee is rewarded by their customer\u2019s satisfaction, such as a smile or a tip.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n