W. Somerset Maugham Quotes

No animal should ever jump up on the dining-room furniture unless absolutely certain that he can hold his own in the conversation.

A civil guest Will no more talk all, than eat all the feast.

There's times to be dainty and times to be a pig.

Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish. Do not overdo it.

I've always believed in having a sense of balance and stealth.

To be witty is not enough. One must possess sufficient wit to avoid having too much of it.

There is a time and a place for things. Sometimes one needs to put a filter on oneself. That can be a good thing.

Its all about finding the right note at the right place and knowing when to leave well enough alone. And that's a lifelong quest.

I like restraint, if it doesn't go too far.

I have enough rings to cover both hands, but that is crass. There is a fine line between looking nice and looking over. Sometimes, I look at myself and say, 'Craig, that is over.' You have to be careful.

Be not too tame neither, but let your own Discretion be your tutor; suit the action to the word, the word to the action.

One must not permit oneself excesses, except with persons whom one wishes soon to leave.

I think the sort of person you want at a party is someone who is self-aware, polite and has a basic knowledge of table manners. And that goes for both men and women.

The dinner table is the center for the teaching and practicing not just of table manners but of conversation, consideration, tolerance, family feeling, and just about all the other accomplishments of polite society except the minuet.

Observe moderation [or: Keep balanced]. [Halt Mass!]

Never exaggerate, but express your feelings with moderation.

Moderation in all things..

In California, of course, they never break up couples at dinner for fear of what might happen if someone's husband were seated next to someone else's very young girlfriend. But dinners with couples seated next to one another are always deadly dull, which is why there are almost no good dinner parties in the entire state of California.

I'm often guilty of overcooking and too much arrangement and throwing too much at it. But I think as I get older, I'm learning better when to be empty and when to be full.

If something is to be quietly powerful, it requires more balance than a film that allows for more freneticism.

Less is more. You should wear earrings or bracelets, but not both.

It's easy to be loud, outspoken, and play to the gallery. It's difficult to underplay one's self.

Good taste rejects excessive nicety.

If you must make a noise, make it quietly.

Wit is better as a seasoning than as a whole dish by itself.