Politeness Quotes - Page 5

• Society, by insisting on conventions, has merely insisted on certain convenient signs by which we may know that a man is considering, in daily life, the comfort of other people.

  Katharine Fullerton Gerould

  Men, People, Comfort

  Katharine Fullerton Gerould (1920). “Modes and Morals”

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• Grace imitates modesty, as politeness imitates kindness.

  Joseph Joubert

  Kindness, Grace, Modesty

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• I smiled back, the importance of manners, my mother always said, is inversely related to how inclined one is to use them, or, in other words, sometimes politeness is all that stands between oneself and madness.

  Nicole Krauss

  Mother, Use, Madness

  Nicole Krauss (2011). “Great House: A Novel”, p.257, W. W. Norton & Company

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• In the actual state of social relationships, the forms ("formes", Fr.) of politeness are necessary as a subsitute to benevolence.

  African Spir

  Social, States, Form

  "Paroles d'un sage: Choix de pensées d'African Spir" ("Words of a Sage : Selected thoughts of African Spir") by Hélène Claparède-Spir, (p. 50), 1937.

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• All legislation, all government, all society is founded upon the principle of mutual concession, politeness, comity, courtesy; upon these everything is based...Let him who elevates himself above humanity, above its weaknesses, its infirmities, its wants, its necessities, say, if he pleases, I will never compromise; but let no one who is not above the frailties of our common nature disdain compromises.

  Henry Clay

  Government, Humanity, Weakness

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• such is the effect of true politeness, that it banishes all restraint and embarassment.

  Fanny Burney

  Restraint, Effects

  Fanny Burney (1857). “Evelina: Or, The History of a Young Lady's Introduction to the World”, p.332

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• A quick and sound judgment, good common sense, kind feeling, and an instinctive perception of character, in these are the elements of what is called tact, which has so much to do with acceptability and success in life.

  Charles Simmons

  Character, Common Sense, Feelings

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• Why did Americans smile so often? Was it out of politeness or because of a gay disposition? Whatever it was, I for one had never been spoiled with smiles. I found it very pleasant! ... I was beginning to understand that with Americans smiling was, as with healthy infants, a natural need. And my reaction was to respond in the same way.

  Svetlana Alliluyeva

  Gay, Healthy, United States

  SVETLANA ALLILUYEVA (1969). “ONLY ONE YEAR”

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• There is a certain amount of politeness here in America, which is probably more than just politeness.

  Yiyun Li

  Source: www.guernicamag.com

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• We cough because we can't help it, but others do it on purpose.

  Mignon McLaughlin

  Purpose, Helping, Manners

  Mignon McLaughlin (2014). “Aperçus: The Aphorisms of Mignon McLaughlin”, p.69, BookBaby

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• Politeness and an affable address are our best introduction.

  Marcus Tullius Cicero

  Addresses, Introduction, Affable

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• Nothing is more favorable to the rise of politeness and learning, than a number of neighboring and independent states, connected together by commerce and policy.

  David Hume

  Independent, Numbers, Together

  David Hume (1854). “Philosophical works”, p.127

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• to be civilized is to be incapable of giving unnecessary offense, it is to have some quality of consideration for all who cross our path.

  Agnes Repplier

  Kindness, Giving, Quality

  Agnes Repplier (1912). “Americans and Others”

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• There are people who balk at small civilities on account of their manifest insincerity. ... It is better and more logical to accept all the polite phraseology which facilitates intercourse, and contributes to the sweetness of life. If we discarded the formal falsehoods which are the currency of conversation, we should not be one step nearer the vital things of truth.

  Agnes Repplier

  Sweetness Of Life, People, Steps

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• There are few defects in our nature so glaring as not to be veiled from observation by politeness and good-breeding.

  Stanisław I Leszczyński

  Breeding, Observation, Defects

  François duc de La Rochefoucauld, Stanisław I Leszczyński (King of Poland) (1851). “Moral Reflections, Sentences and Maxims of Francis, Duc de la Rochefoucauld”, p.179

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• Hope, politeness, the blowing of a nose, the squeak of a boot, all produce "boum.

  E. M. Forster

  Noses, Boots, Absence

  'A Passage to India' (1924) ch. 14

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• There is nothing costs less than civility.

  Miguel de Cervantes

  Cost, Civility

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• Politeness is sometimes a great tax upon sincerity.

  Charlotte Lennox

  Sometimes, Sincerity, Taxes

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• Vanity is as advantageous to a government as pride is dangerous. To be convinced of this we need only represent, on the one hand,the numberless benefits which result from vanity, as industry, the arts, fashions, politeness, and taste; and on the other, the infinite evils which spring from the pride of certain nations, a laziness, poverty, a total neglect of everything.

  Baron de Montesquieu

  Fashion, Art, Spring

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• Marriage is the strictest tie of perpetual friendship, and there can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrity; and he must expect to be wretched, who pays to beauty, riches, or politeness that regard which only virtue and piety can claim.

  Samuel Johnson

  Marriage, Integrity, Ties

  Samuel Johnson, Arthur Murphy (1836). “The works of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.: with an essay on his life and genius”, p.41

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• I'm absolute attacking my own instinct for politeness, but I think I admire artists who just speak out or who are strong, so it's very hard.

  Stephen Fry

  Strong, Artist, Thinking

  Big Think Interview, bigthink.com. December 8, 2009.

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• Home is the place where true politeness tells.

  Julia McNair Wright

  Home

  Julia McNair Wright (1895). “Ideal Homes, Or, Our Golden Mile-stones ...: A Volume of Practical Experices, Popularly Illustrated : Embracing All the Interests of the Household”

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• Politeness has been defined to be artificial good-nature; but we may affirm, with much greater propriety, that good-nature is natural politeness.

  Stanisław I Leszczyński

  May, Natural, Propriety

  duc de François La Rochefoucauld, François La Rochefoucauld (duc de), King of Poland Stanisław, Stanisław I Leszczyński (King of Poland) (1851). “Moral reflections, sentences and maxims of Francis, duc de la Rochefoucauld”, p.178

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• True politeness is to social life what oil is to machinery, a thing to oil the ruts and grooves of existence. False politeness can shine without warming and glitter without vivifying.

  Frances Harper

  Oil, Shining, Ruts

  Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Frances Smith Foster (1990). “A Brighter Coming Day: A Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Reader”, p.397, Feminist Press at CUNY

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• Manners or etiquette ('accessibility, affability, politeness, refinement, propriety, courtesy, and ingratiating and captivating behavior') call for no large measure of moral determination and cannot, therefore, be reckoned as virtues. Even though manners are no virtues, they are a means of developing virtue.... The more we refine the crude elements in our nature, the more we improve our humanity and the more capable it grows of feeling the driving force of virtuous principles.

  Immanuel Kant

  Determination, Communication, Mean

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