Christopher Hitchens Quotes

It's now very common to hear people say 'I'm rather offended by that'.

I make fun of people who are religious, because they're fundamentally weak.

I am perfectly capable of writing things about myself that one doesn't discuss in polite company, but I was raised by people who said you don't discuss politics, you don't discuss religion, and you certainly don't discuss people's sex lives.

The hardest situation to pick up a girl in is ... in church and in Morocco on Ramadan. On Ramadan or one of those religious days? Try to pick up a girl is bananas.

In Asia, personal relationships are important, but you cannot personalise diplomacy.

I've always told my children that Americans will tell you pretty much anything, but that convention dictates that we don't like to talk money or politics.

It is my opinion that whatever is the custom of a nation, and is practiced by the first characters of that nation towards their chief, cannot degrade strangers who perform the same.

We cannot command the religion of our subjects, since no-one can be forced to believe against his will.

Every culture is different in terms of what is taboo and what is acceptable. I grew up in Singapore, where people are very mindful of that. One can see that as restriction or as consideration for a fellow person living within a shared environment.

There's a difference between being culturally insensitive - being insensitive towards a culture - and being insensitive.

In some cultures, like Middle Eastern, Egyptian, or Asian cultures, people are often hesitant to give any negative feedback.

Consider the problem of taking showers with Christians. They are, after all, constantly going on about the business of witnessing in the hopes of making converts to their God and church. Would you want to shower with such people? You never know when they might try to baptize you.

Racist people, interestingly, are never as polite as smokers. Have you noticed that? Smokers always go, "Do you mind if I smoke? Oh, you do? Okay, I'll go outside and have a cigarette."

Manners are just a formal expression of how you treat people.

It's impossible to expect polite behavior from people who've never witnessed it.

There's something about the American people: They have such an innate sense of fairness that the red light goes on and the bells go off the second you approach that line. Any kind of personal attack is verboten. You shouldn't do it; it's not worth it.

When strangers meet, great allowance should be made for differences of custom and training.

Not greeting people isn't enough. One also doesn't greet people one doesn't know.

In a safe Western world where we're not being shot at and we're not starving, the worst thing that happens to us most days is someone's rude to us, or we accidentally insult someone. Social faux pas is the worst thing that happens to most people, most days, so we've got to concentrate on that, really.

There's this whole debate about whether being PC is just being like political or whether it's just being a good person, and I feel like that's something that people need to take into consideration because, you know, people are like, "Oh PC culture is ruining America." It's being a good person. If you're offended when people are not, you know, sexist or racist, then you're a part of the problem.

It is in bad taste," is the most formidable word an Englishman can pronounce.

What you think in your own mind to be good, or what people of the world think is good, is not necessarily good.

Modesty and taste are questions of latitude and education; the more people know,--the more their ideas are expanded by travel, experience, and observation,--the less easily they are shocked. The narrowness and bigotry of women are the result of their circumscribed sphere of thought and action.

All religious beliefs seem weird to people not brought up in them.

Political correctness is the the inability to state certain truths because they may offend certain people