12/08/2025
📍 Why Do I Care So Much About Exclamation Marks? 🇬🇧🇹🇼
When I first moved to the UK, I noticed something strange in my messages.
I would often write “Thank you!!” with two exclamation marks, but British people usually replied with “Thanks!” or even just “Thanks.”
In Taiwan (and many Asian cultures), punctuation is part of how we show warmth and respect — especially to teachers.
Two exclamation marks might mean:
“I really appreciate your help, and I want you to feel I’m friendly and grateful!”
But in the UK, people often keep punctuation simple.
One exclamation mark is already warm.
Two exclamation marks might feel very excited, or even a little dramatic — so most people just don’t use them unless they’re close friends.
It made me realise something:
In Asia, we sometimes feel we should “make up for” our weak points by being extra polite or grateful.
In the UK, a teacher usually thinks, “You have strengths and weaknesses — my job is to adapt and help you learn.”
There’s no need to “compensate” with extra punctuation.
Now, I still love my exclamation marks (they’re part of my personality 💛),
but I also enjoy the British style — calm, clear, and friendly without too much decoration.
💬 How about you? Do you feel the difference when writing messages in different cultures?╰(*´︶`*)╯♡