re: "Why You Need To Be Gracious – Always"

DS at Diplopundit ("Hopscotching through the continents of North and South America, Europe and Asia; hitched to this wagon since 1986.") reminds us of a non-altruistic reason for good manners: the returning appointees.

Money quote(s):

"(I)t's a small world out there; the State Department believe it or not - is an even smaller world. We're all practically kissing cousins brushing shoulders in the famous corridors of Foggy Bottom and in all chancery corridors overseas. I know - ain't that weird!? I know somebody who knows you - our own three degrees of "corridor reputation." But I digress ....

In any case, like The Terminator says, “I’ll be back.” That could mean some familiar old faces from the Bush II Era shepherding the transition process in 2012 or 2016 at Foggy Bottom. Or some may actually return to stay for oh, four- eight years – it depends. The thing is, you just never know who will turn up every four years or so. Which I think is actually quite charming, kind of like opening gifts in a holiday that occurs every four years. You know you're going to get a gift, you just don't quite know what to expect."