Jane Austen Quotes

Politeness, n: The most acceptable hypocrisy.

Politeness is sometimes a great tax upon sincerity.

Politeness is fictitious benevolence.

I was raised to be charming, not sincere.

Nothing is so great an example of bad manners as flattery. If you flatter all the company, you please none; If you flatter only one or two, you offend the rest.

Politeness is deception in pretty packaging.

He was the soul of politeness to everyone -- to some with a hint of aversion, to others with a hint of respect.

None but an ass pays a compliment and asks a favour at the same time. There are many asses.

Manners are a way of getting what you want without appearing to be an absolute swine.

The highest perfection of politeness is only a beautiful edifice, built, from the base to the dome, of ungraceful and gilded forms of charitable and unselfish lying.

Politeness is half good manners and half good lying.

When it comes to knowing what to say, to charm, I always had it.

Discretion is the polite word for hypocrisy.

In truth, politeness is artificial good humor, it covers the natural want of it, and ends by rendering habitual a substitute nearly equivalent to the real virtue.

Glibness will get your anywhere.

I love old-fashioned manners, as long as it's not forced. I can tell when it's natural or when someone is just trying to impress me.

Politeness is only one half good manners and the other half good lying.

The world prefers decorum to honesty.

The days and weeks of screwed-up smiles and laboured courtesy, the mock geniality, the hearty shake of the filthy hand, the chuckling reply that must be made to the coarse joke, the loathsome, choking compliment that must be paid to the grimy wife and sluttish daughter, the indispensable flattery of the vilest religious prejudices, the wholesale deglutition of hypocritical pledges.

I call people 'captain' a lot and it makes them feel special. Until they hear me using it for everyone, that is.

A little flattery goes a long way.

I'm impervious to charm. I can see through it.

Not all lies are harmful. Sometimes we're willing participants in deception for the sake of social dignity, maybe to keep a secret that should be kept secret, secret. We say, 'Nice song.' 'Honey, you don't look fat in that, no.'

In truth, politeness is artificial good humor, it covers the natural want of it, and ends by rendering habitual a substitute nearly equivalent to the real virtue. It is the practice of sacrificing to those whom we meet in society, all the little inconveniences and preferences which will gratify them, and deprive us of nothing worth a moment's consideration; it is the giving a pleasing and flattering turn to our expressions, which will conciliate others, and make them pleased with us as well as themselves. How cheap a price for the good will of another!

Fair words cost nothing.