Polite and Less Awkward

I don't know how it is in other countries, but in America, greetings are a part of life just like flushing the toilet or saying "bless you" when someone sneezes. They require little effort and are the polite thing to do. Polite speech is not only what we are taught from a young age to interact with others but it also eliminates the uncomfortable interactions that Americans have become weary of.
Imagine checking out at a grocery store and the cashier saying absolutely nothing. You stand there in awkward silence and when you finally grab your bags to walk out, you don't even get a "have a nice day". It's hard to picture, if you ask me because I've never experienced it and I'm guessing you haven't either. Polite speech is second nature and even though there is an underlying understanding that neither of us care how the other person is actually doing because we will probably never see each other again, we still spit out the "how are you" and "have a nice day". We are trained from an early age how to be polite and this falls into that category. Responses are limited, normally it's either "I'm good" or "I'm okay, how are you" if you stray from the predisposed responses, things get uncomfortable because the short interaction that you normally wouldn't remember, turns into an awkward moment that you will share with your friends or family later on that day. We are taught a script to follow and learn with time that it is better to stick to it. People need something to fill the silence and greetings suffice. We have become accustomed to a world with technology that can save us from awkward and uncomfortable situations, but in places that we can't whip out our devices like the check out line at the supermarket or the front desk the doctors office, polite speech fills that void. Polite conversations are strictly surface level and nothing more. They are not a time to share your full life story but rather a way to be polite and avoid awkward interactions. 

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