Saying thank you isn’t manners. It’s proof you noticed.

Gratitude said out loud is evidence that something registered. People are rarely unsure whether they helped; they are unsure whether it was noticed. A specific thank you answers that question in about five seconds. Manners are the packaging and attention is what is inside it.

Thank one person this week for something they assume went unseen. Name the actual thing rather than offering a general thanks. Specificity is what makes it land as true rather than polite.