[Lilly]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Look at something similar but on a practical rather than spiritual level.

Imagine you go into a shop to make several purchases. One of the items you wish to buy is a spotless white tablecloth. The shop assistant has just been weighing out 5lb of spuds and has soil on her hands. She could simply pick up your table cloth and get dirty fingerprints on it but what the heck it's her job and she's supposed to put the thing in a bag for you. Or she could ask you to put it in a bag yourself as she doesn't wish to mark it with her grubby hands. You can see the soil on her hands, you understand what she means so you thank her for being considerate.

Now look at the possibility where there isn't a mucky spud in sight but this young lass knows she has sweaty hands and fears she could leave a nasty greasy mark on your tablecloth. She asks you to put it in a bag yourself but you see no reason why she shouldn't do it. You catch the word 'greasy' or 'sweaty' and are not sure what she means but instead of asking you grudgingly put the cloth in the bag - but not having queried why you mull over this later and it becomes a grievance that the girl perhaps called you something insulting and made you serve yourself. Suddenly this shop assistant whose only concern was not to mark your lovely white table cloth with her sweaty, greasy hands has become a nasty insolent individual who wouldn't do her job properly, has insulted you and deserves to be sacked.

Not the same really as the examples you give feature muck that can be seen so it would be obvious to the customer why you would not wish to touch her pristine tablecloth, therefore, no offence could be taken.