Politeness is about showing consideration for others' feelings and helps build and maintain relationships. It involves behaving in ways that are seen as respectful and trigger positive emotions. Politeness is influenced by shared values and reflects how people think things should be in a given situation. Research on politeness has evolved over time, with different waves focusing on universal frameworks, individual interactions, and cross-cultural comparisons. Key areas of study include impoliteness, cultural differences in politeness, gender differences, and social conventions.