Foreword

Matters related to human interaction in general, and ‘politeness’ in particular, have intrigued me for a long time; as a temporary inter-continental commuter – I currently live between Europe and Asia – I have had the privilege of experiencing interpersonal relations and of observing manifestations of what could be defined ‘polite’ and ‘impolite’ behaviour in some of the countries represented in this volume, for example China, Japan and Singapore. Reading the pages of this book was more than an academic exercise, however stimulating that would be in its own right: I found myself reflecting on the authors’ arguments and perspectives in the light of my own experiences of East and South East Asia and of exchange with colleagues from those regions.

The contents of this volume reminded me of the lines made famous by the film Forest Gump: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.” Variety is almost guaranteed when one combines a topic as complex and elusive as ‘politeness’ – for which scholars have probably given up hope of providing a robust, shared definition – with a spectrum of countries each maintaining their distinct individual character in spite of sharing major philosophical and religious traditions.