Politeness Quotes - Page 10

• (Politeness is) a tacit agreement that people's miserable defects, whether moral or intellectual, shall on either side be ignored and not be made the subject of reproach.

  Arthur Schopenhauer

  Agreement, People, Intellectual

  Arthur Schopenhauer (2015). “Counsels and Maxims: Top of Schopenhauer”, p.64, 谷月社

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• The whole country wants civility. Why don't we have it? It doesn't cost anything. No federal funding, no legislation is involved. One answer is the unwillingness to restrain oneself. Everybody wants other people to be polite to them, but they want the freedom of not having to be polite to others.

  Judith Martin

  Country, Freedom, Equality

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• When politeness is used to show up other people, it is reclassified as rudeness. Thus it is technically impossible to be too polite.

  Judith Martin

  People, Impossible, Rudeness

  Judith Martin (1996). “Miss Manners Rescues Civilization: From Sexual Harassment, Frivolous Lawsuits, Dissing, and Other Lapses in Civility”, Crown

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• What is politeness in the home but the outcome of affection and self-respect, and the suppression of all those natural instincts of self-seeking that, allowed their way, produce the worst manners in the world?

  Humphry Davy

  Home, Self, Outcomes

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• There's no nation under the sun can beat the English for ill-politeness: for my part, I hate the very sight of them; and so I shall only just visit a person of quality or two of my particular acquaintance, and then I shall go back again to France.

  Fanny Burney

  Hate, Sight, Two

  Frances Burney, Fanny Burney (2015). “Complete Works of Frances Burney (Delphi Classics)”, p.65, Delphi Classics

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• Tact is the great ability to see other people as they think you see them.

  Carl Zuckmayer

  Thinking, People, Ability

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• I am not a Jew for Jesus but I am definitely a Jew for Christmas. Christmas is one of the best things you Christians have given us, along with mac and cheese, Bono, croquet and politeness.

  David Brooks

  Christian, Jesus, Cheese

  "The True Meaning of Christmas". Interview with Gail Collins, opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com. December 22, 2010.

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• There is no policy like politeness; and a good manner is the best thing in the world either to get a good name, or to supply the want of it.

  Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton

  Names, Good Man, World

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• Bowing, ceremonious, formal compliments, stiff civilities, will never be politeness; that must be easy, natural, unstudied; and what will give this but a mind benevolent and attentive to exert that amiable disposition in trifles to all you converse and live with?

  William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham

  Giving, Mind, Compliment

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