Quotes About Manners

As Lord Chesterfield said to his son: Be wiser than other people if you can; but do not tell them so.

Little phrases such as "I'm sorry to trouble you," "Would you be so kind as to—?" "Won't you please?" "Would you mind?" "Thank you"—little courtesies like these oil the cogs of the monotonous grind of everyday life—and, incidentally, they are the hallmark of good breeding.

Good manners," said Emerson, "are made up of petty sacrifices.

Frases insignificantes, como Lamento molestarlo, Tendría usted la bondad de..., Quiere hacer el favor de..., Tendría usted la gentileza, o Gracias"; pequeñas cortesías como éstas sirven para aceitar las ruedas del monótono mecanismo de la vida diaria y, de paso, son la seña de la buena educación.

They have, to be sure, their proportion of ne'er-do-weels, their pedants and lettered fools, but they have a surprisingly small proportion of them; they have not that culture of manner which we instinctively associate with university men, forgetting that in reality it is the heritage from cultured homes, and that no people a generation removed from slavery can escape a certain unpleasant rawness and gaucherie, despite the best of

Patience, Humility, Manners, and Taste, common schools and kindergartens, industrial and technical schools, literature and tolerance,—all these spring from knowledge and culture, the children of the university. So must men and nations build, not otherwise, not upside down.

Being uneducated is no guarantee against being obnoxious.

but we know in the South that the real purpose of manners is to make life easier for everyone, easier both to keep to oneself and to avoid the uneasy commerce of offense and even insult. Either one shakes hands with someone or one ignores him or one kills him. What else is there?

To the real artist in humanity, what are called bad manners are often the most picturesque and significant of all.

The weightiest objection to the mode of life of the confirmed bachelor: he eats by himself. Taking food alone tends to make one hard and coarse—it is only in company that eating is done justice.

A child in his nightshirt cannot be prevailed upon to greet an arriving visitor.

Fish and guests stink after three days.

He knew how to be impolite without being rude.

I like the rules; following them proves to me that I'm a civilized man.

Colonel Talbot? he is a very disagreeable person, to be sure. He looks as if he thought no Scottish woman worth the trouble of handing her a cup of tea.

A tale of manners, to be interesting, must either refer to antiquity so great as to have become venerable, or it must bear a vivid reflection of those scenes which are passing daily before our eyes, and are interesting from their novelty.

Good behavior by each party begets good behavior in return.

When I see a merchant overpolite to his customers, begging them to taste a little brandy and throwing half his goods on the counter—thinks I, that man has an ax to grind.

FIRST MORAL Good manners are not easy They need a little care, But when we least expect it Bring rewards both rich and rare. SECOND MORAL Brute force or bribes of diamonds Bend others to your will, But gentle words have greater power And gain more conquests still.

Promptitude is not only a duty, but is also a part of good manners; it is favorable to fortune, reputation, influence, and usefulness; a little attention and energy will form the habit, so as to make it easy and delightful.

What did the plate say to the napkin? "Dinner is on me.

Who do hats think they are? They contribute nothing to society, and don't even display basic manners. Has a hat ever held a door open for you? No. It hasn't.

The Episcopalian ideal of a gentleman is a man who, if a lady falls down drunk, will pick her up off the floor and freshen up her drink. You practically have to be on the list for your second liver transplant before a Southern Episcopalian notices that you drink too much.

All the gentlemen accorded her the courtesy of standing when she entered the chamber. One second of recognition, then her gender would be completely forgotten when the discussions began. ~ From The Earl, the Vow, and the Plain Jane by Cheryl Bolen