When was the last time you wrote a “thank you” note—a handwritten thank you note—not an email?  Sending a handwritten thank you note can be as self-interested as it is polite.

Is there any other reason to send a carefully worded thank you letter to someone who has just interviewed you for a job?  According to many, George H. W. Bush’s career was advanced by his strong habit of sending thank you notes.

It is very important to know how to show gratitude.  For many children learning to write thank you notes is an early lesson in civility.  You can never write too many thank you notes—at a time when everything is so fleeting, nothing has an impact like something handwritten.