“Thanks in Advance” – The Lazy Man’s Form of Gratitude

Is there a lazier form of common courtesy than telling someone, “thanks in advance?” I little while ago I received an email request for info, and the person signed off by saying, “thanks in advance!”

Maybe it’s just me, but when you say, “thanks in advance” aren’t you essentially saying, “I’m pretty self-absorbed, and I’m not going to bother thanking you for your help later,” or, “Boy, I better thank you now in advance because I’m such an inconsiderate buffoon I’ll forget to later”?

I suppose some people say “thanks in advance” and then send a thank you afterwards too, but you may as well drop the “in advance” from that. It really serves no point, other than to make me and my ilk upset…

Maybe I’m being unduly harsh, but is it really too much to ask that people offer thanks BOTH when making the request and after receiving help? You know, “Could you offer me some advice on XXX? Thanks!” followed by, “Your advice was very helpful. Thanks so much!” It takes what, like 20 seconds to fire off a thank you email afterwards. if you can’t take 20 seconds to thank someone, why should they take the time to think about your request and offer their help?

The lesson here? Show a little gratitude. No one gets ahead without the help of others, so be appreciative of that. If you can’t, then don’t ask for help in the first place.

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