Editing Politeness (section)

==Types==
{{Unsourced section|date=May 2024}}
Anthropologists [[Penelope Brown]] and [[Stephen C. Levinson|Stephen Levinson]] identified four kinds of politeness, deriving from [[Erving Goffman]]'s concept of [[Face (sociological concept)|face]]:
# '''Negative politeness''' is the act of making a request less infringing, such as "If you don't mind..." or "If it isn't too much trouble..."; respects a person's right to act freely. This is a variety of ''deference''. There is a greater use of indirect [[speech acts]]. It is also considered a part of being assertive.
#'''Non-assertive politeness''' is when a person refrains from making a comment or asserting their beliefs during a discussion so as to remain polite to others present. It is also when a person goes along with a decision made by someone else so as not to appear impolite, essentially following general social norms.
#'''Assertive politeness''' can be when a person offers their opinion in a positive and constructive way to be assistive and helpful during an interaction, or refrains from [[hypocrisy|purporting to agree with something they do not actually agree with]] in a way that does not offend others.
# '''Positive politeness''' seeks to establish a positive relationship between parties, and it respects a person's need to be liked and understood. This standard of politeness is determined by [[personal boundaries]], and often violates etiquette norms in letter. Direct speech acts, [[profanity|swearing]] and flouting [[Gricean maxim|Grice's maxims]] can be considered aspects of positive politeness because:
#* They show an awareness that the relationship is strong enough to cope with what would normally be considered impolite (in the popular understanding of the term);
#* They articulate an awareness of the other person's values, which fulfills the person's desire to be accepted.
#* They convey a natural, relaxed, casual setting.

Some cultures, groups, and individuals prefer some ideals of politeness over the other. In this way, politeness is culturally bound, and even within broader cultures, people may disagree.