Re: To speak soft or to carry a heavy stick ?
excellent thread STP.
we all talk. at times clearly and at others not to clearly. i think that politeness can be balanced with a firmness in your speech which is directed to someone or something.
you obviously will see the need to address something.
and many a times in life, being direct and straight in speaking is in itself necessary to uphold your values and be able to reasonable express your concerns and worries.
politeness can go together with that particular kind of firmness - in tone of voice and words or sentences that may capture the emphasis on a specific issue.
true, that balance is not always easy. nor are people trainable in this, until they are in a situation where they have to be polite but at the same time clear and firm.
a good conversant will know how to utilize non verbal cues of the listener, in order to prevent any feelings from getting hurt.
which is why being face to face is the only effective way problems can be solved in this context.
Best,
Dushwari