quotations about politeness
Politeness is an inexpensive way of making friends.
WILLIAM FEATHER
Forbes, 1989
Being polite is not meant to be a graceful way of being dishonest. Politeness is a way in which we honor and respect others.
MARK NICHOLS
The Rules: Ten to Live By
Some folks are too polite to be up to any good.
KIN HUBBARD
attributed, 20,000 Quips & Quotes
Politeness is the outward garment of goodwill.
JULIUS CHARLES HARE
Guesses at Truth
Politeness is one half good nature and the other half good lying.
MARY WILSON LITTLE
A Paragrapher's Reveries
Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.
OTTO VON BISMARCK
attributed, Scoundrels All: being a fulsome compendium of observations, mostly disenchanted and dyspeptic, about politics and politicians and their arcane doings down through the ages
Of course, it is no easy matter to be polite; in so far, I mean, as it requires us to show great respect for everybody, whereas most people deserve none at all.
ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER
Counsels and Maxims
Either one learns politeness at home ... or the world teaches it to you with a whip and you may get hurt in the process.
F. SCOTT FITZGERALD
Tender Is the Night
A man should be as polite all the time as a candidate is just before an election.
ED HOWE
attributed, 20,000 Quips & Quotes
One of the greatest victories you can gain over any man is to beat him at politeness.
JOSH BILLINGS
Wit and Wisdom of Josh Billings
Politeness and a sense of honor have this advantage: we bestow them on others without losing a thing.
BALTASAR GRACIAN
The Art of Worldly Wisdom
A man never loses anything by politeness.
HENRY VENN
attributed, Day's Collacon
Politeness may be regarded as the zero of friendship's thermometer.
STANISLAUS BOUFFLERS
attributed, Day's Collacon
Politeness is ... forgetting ourselves in order to seek what may be agreeable to others.
WELLINS CALCOTT
Thoughts Moral and Divine
Treat everyone politely, even those rude to you; not because they are nice, but because you are.
JEAN CHERNI
"Are politeness and good manners unimportant and out of date?", New Haven Register, April 15, 2015
Politeness is lost by anger.
AL-BUSTI
attributed, Day's Collacon
Please and thank you are still magic words.
ANONYMOUS
True politeness is perfect ease and freedom; it simply consists in treating others just as you love to be treated yourself.
B. H. SMART
attributed, Day's Collacon
Politeness is to human nature what warmth is to wax.
ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER
Counsels and Maxims
The key to being polite is to think of yourself as Lord or Lady Bountiful -- much too well-bred to let on that your bunions pinch or your fine sense of smell has just discerned that something has died.
JOY BROWNE
Dating for Dummies