That sounds a lot more like what I call deference than politeness.
Politeness is saying "Hello" to strangers, it's picking up after your dog in the park, it's not telling people to go screw themselves even if that's what your inside voice is saying. Importantly, politeness is irrespective of power dynamics: a powerful person who tells a person without any power to go screw themselves is being impolite just as much as when the roles are reversed.
Civility stems from a recognition that we're all in this together, even if we've got different interests and different identities. Civility is how a society deescalates conflict and facilitates multi-stakeholder progress.
Even if one doesn't value civility and politeness for their own sake, they're often tactically desirable. It's a lot easier to convince someone to do something if you don't call them a jerk first.
(no subject)
Politeness is saying "Hello" to strangers, it's picking up after your dog in the park, it's not telling people to go screw themselves even if that's what your inside voice is saying. Importantly, politeness is irrespective of power dynamics: a powerful person who tells a person without any power to go screw themselves is being impolite just as much as when the roles are reversed.
Civility stems from a recognition that we're all in this together, even if we've got different interests and different identities. Civility is how a society deescalates conflict and facilitates multi-stakeholder progress.
Even if one doesn't value civility and politeness for their own sake, they're often tactically desirable. It's a lot easier to convince someone to do something if you don't call them a jerk first.