If ma'am and sir are really terms of respect and not just a reference to age...?

Question

... and presumably everyone, young, old, in-between wants to be respected, then why don't young people in retail environment call their peers ma'am and sir? A lot of people protest that these terms make them feel old, like someone is trying to "bury" them before their time...

Answer 1

I grew up in Texas and that's the way it is, and we do say it to our peers, not neccessarily out of respect but habit. I don't believe it is disrespectful or offense to refer to an authority figure, stranger(regardless of age) or an elder as ma'am or sir. I moved up north and bleieve me it was stressfull, ppl get SO offensive over the term :(

Answer 2

I think they are more term used to show respect when you really do not know someone well. I confess, although I am not old, hearing someone call me "miss" really irritates me. I prefer "ma'am", especially from a younger person. Generally in a retail environment, the ma'am and sir are used with customers not peers.

Answer 3

The first time I remember being addressed as "ma'am" I was in my early 20s and it was by a boy who didn't seem much younger than me. That was odd. Throughout my early 20s, it did seem odd on what seemed to be the rare occasion that I was actually addressed as "ma'am". It didn't make me feel old, but just odd that I was old enough to be addresses as "ma'am". I didn't realize that I was a kid any more.

I don't hear it much from anybody anymore. Okay. Among friends in a casual environment it would be out of place. However, a store clerk addressing a customer with politeness and respect shold be done. (I went to the grocery store today and paid with my credit card. The cashier, seeing my name on the receipt, said something like, "Thank you, Laura". That surprised me. I'm barely used to getting a perfunctionary [sp?] thank you, let alone one with genuine courtesy.)

Sir and ma'am seem to be rarely taught these days, let alone simple things like "excuse me" and "please" and "thank you" or even Ms. Miss, Mrs. Mr....

I digress.

Answer 4

I know that in the military you become acustomed to calling everyone sir or ma'am because you never know who you are speaking to. It just becomes a habit.

Answer 5

I prefer to be called "miss" instead of "ma'am", especially if the person talking to me is close or older in age.

Answer 6

Some adults don't like being referred to this term, but if they don't mind it, it's respectable for younger people to call them by this. Sadly, not many kids have respect for their elder anymore.

Answer 7

Because those young people (and lots of old people) have little respect for others. It is not a mark of the old - how else do you address someone whose name you do not know, or you don't know personally?

Answer 8

It is respectful. Some people say it makes them feel old because most people give more respect to those who they perceive as elders. I guess they just don't like to be spoken to with respect.

Answer 9

The only person who could possibly make me feel old is ME; they can "ma'am" me all they want to and it won't change that :-)

Answer 10

It's generational; it's polite; it's nice; it's respectful, I was raised that way, and I raised my kids that way, and they are raising their kids that way.