Every day, I make numerous observations about the people in the world around me. One trend that I have recently noticed is the lack of use of the phrase, “you’re welcome.”
It seems simple enough – someone shows you kindness, you thank them, and they reply “you’re welcome.”
Yet rarely does it go down this way. People have become accustomed to either not replying at all, or replying with some pre-programmed impersonal reply. Just now I got a “yep” when thanking a guy who held the door open for me.
Yep? Gee, buddy, you have quite the way with words.
Me: Thank you.
Him: Yep.
WTF. Yep doesn’t even make sense as a reply to “thank you.” Yep is slang for “yes” which would be a way to answer a question in the affirmative. I’m pretty sure I didn’t say “thank you?” to the guy. I was not asking him a question.
Yep is bad, but the lack of any reply might be worse. I thank someone, only to watch them stroll by wordless, as if to say, “quiet down, peon, I didn’t hold the door open for you, I was opening it for myself and your walking in while it was open was just timely, but by no means should my action be construed as helpful or kind.”
When people fail to acknowledge my thanks, I think I am going to go out of my way to take it back.
Me: Thank you.
Him: (nothing)
Me: Never mind, I rescind my thanks and I hope you step in a puddle.
However, my least favorite reply when I give thanks is the dreaded, “no worries.”
While official claims over who pioneered this phrase differ, I fear I may have had a large part in it, as I’m the first person I can remember ever saying “no worries.”
I disgust myself.
Now, however, older and wiser, I actively try to refrain from saying “no worries” at any point in regards to any thing. Especially after someone thanks me. It’s a huge slap in someone’s face. No worries? Gee bud, thanks for clarifying that. I was having an anxiety attack over your kind action of holding that door open for me, but now I’m not worried about it because you said ‘no worries.’
Do yourself a favor and actively try to thank people who show you kindness, and be sure to give them a sincere “you’re welcome” when they thank you.
logical thinking in an illogical world 
OMG…hilarious, yet makes soooooooooo much sense!!! I hope you’re not still disgusted with yourself. I’d like to say “no worries”, but I think I better not.
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