Why do we praise sometimes and not ALL times?

When people do a good job - even when they're 'just' doing their job - why don't we praise them?

If you go to a sporting event, you'll cheer a goal, a six, a wicket, a personal best, sometimes someone simply finishing. At a gig, we all applaud at the end of a song or a sonata or a symphony.

Those people are really 'just' doing what they've been paid to do.

So why don't we do it when the bus driver gets us to work, the waiter serves us our coffee or the bank clerk pays in our cheque? It doesn't have to be a round of applause, but a simple 'Thanks' and a smile might just make their day. Imagine if three people did it in their day - wouldn't they be happier the next day and try just that bit harder?

I was struck by the immense applause at the end of every song layed by The Stranglers last night. Rightly so - they did a great job. But it's not hard (given that they're all incredibly talented musicians) to do that night after night. Each time they play a song, they get better at it. They've written the songs, rehearsed and are doing it really, really well. Can't we all aim to do whatever it is that we do really, really well - and then hope that someone praises us for it.

More applause - that's what this world needs.