Politeness Quotes

Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split.

An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.

Manners, really good ones, make it possible to live with almost anyone, gracefully and pleasantly.

An armed society is a polite society.

Courtesy, like grace and beauty, that which begets liking and inclination to love one another at the first sight, and in the very beginning of our acquaintance and familiarity; and, consequently, that which first opens the door for us to better ourselves by the example of others, if there be anything in the society worth notice

Stalin is too coarse, and this fault, though tolerable in dealings among us Communists, becomes unbearable in a General Secretary. Therefore I propose to the comrades to find some way of removing Stalin from his position and appointing somebody else who differs in all respects from Comrade Stalin in one characteristic-namely, someone more tolerant, more loyal, more polite and considerate to his comrades, less capricious, etc.

It well becomes a young man to be modest.

Manners are of more importance than laws. Manners are what vex or soothe, corrupt or purify, exalt or debase, barbarize or refine us, by a constant, steady, uniform, insensible operation, like that of the air we breathe.

Be polite. Write diplomatically. Even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.

The vulgar only laugh, but never smile; whereas well-bred people often smile, but seldom laugh.

I would not have had that happen to you. Discourtesy is unspeakably ugly to me.

If a man holds a door open for me or pulls back a chair so that this old bag can sit down, I'm delighted.

Good manners can render even virtue tolerable.

don't be angry with the gentleman for thinking, whatever be the cause, for I assure you he makes no common practice of offending in that way.

To Americans, English manners are far more frightening than none at all.

That roguish and cheerful vice, politeness.

Never assume that the person you are dealing with is weaker or less important than you are. Some people are slow to take offense, which may make you misjudge the thickness of their skin, and fail to worry about insulting them. But should you offend their honor and their pride, they will overwhelm you with a violence that seems sudden and extreme given their slowness to anger. If you want to turn people down, it is best to do so politely and respectfully, even if you feel their request is impudent or their offer ridiculous.

Diplomacy is to do and say the nastiest things in the nicest way.

Admiration, n. Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves.

I lapsed into my pathetic cut-off period. Often with humans, both good and bad, my senses simply shut off, they get tired, I give up. I am polite. I nod. I pretend to understand because I don’t want anybody to be hurt. That is the one weakness that has lead me into the most trouble. Trying to be kind to others I often get my soul shredded into a kind of spiritual pasta. No matter. My brain shuts off. I listen. I respond. And they are too dumb to know that I am not there.

A well-bred youth neither speakes of himselfe, nor being spoken to is silent.

I'm not a fan of purposely farting in front of other people. If you have to fart, leave the room.

Manners are more important than laws. Upon them, in great measure, the laws depend.

It is nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

Civility is a choice.