Julia Ward Howe Quotes

A well-bred carriage is difficult to imitate; for in strictness it is negative, and it implies a long-continued previous training.

Defect in manners is usually the defect of fine perceptions. Elegance comes of no breeding, but of birth.

Though shyness per se was unacceptable, reserve was a mark of good breeding.

A fine lady; by which term I wish to express the result of that perfect education in taste and manner, down to every gesture, which heaven forbid that I, professing to be a poet, should undervalue. It is beautiful, and therefore I welcome it in the name of the author of all beauty. I value it so highly that I would fain see it extend not merely from Belgravia to the tradesman's villa, but thence, as I believe it one day will, to the laborer's hovel and the needlewoman's garret.

He who reflects on another man's want of breeding, shows he wants it as much himself

Good-breeding shows itself most where to an ordinary eye it appears the least.

It is disgusting to pick your teeth; what is vulgar is to use a gold toothpick.

Good breeding consists in having no particular mark of any profession, but a general elegance of manners.

Insofar as he'd formed any opinion of her, it was that she suffered from misplaced gentility and the mistaken belief that etiquette meant good breeding. She mistook mannerisms for manners.

Good company requires only birth, education, and manners, and with regard to education is not very nice. Birth and good manners are essential; but a little learning is by no means a dangerous thing in good company; on the contrary, it will do very well.

Defect in manners is usually the defect of fine perceptions. Men are too coarsely made for the delicacy of beautiful carriage and customs. It is not quite sufficient to good breeding, a union of kindness and independence.

I still lack to a considerable degree that naturally superior kind of manner that I would dearly like to possess.

I have heard that stiff people lose something of their awkwardness under high ceilings, and in spacious halls. I think, sculptureand painting have an effect to teach us manners, and abolish hurry.

You can pay for school, but you can't buy class

It is good breeding alone that can prepossess people in your favor at first sight, more time being necessary to discover greater talents.

The boor covers himself, the rich man or the fool adorns himself, and the elegant man gets dressed.

Politeness is fictitious benevolence. Depend upon it, the want of it never fails to produce something disagreeable to one or other.

Those who seek to impress upon us that they are gentlemen will usually be found mistaken.

The great thing about being always among people of noble manners was the inevitable elevation of one's own.

One can be well-bred and write bad poetry

An elegant woman is a woman who despises you and has no hair under her arms.

The most vulgar slang is scarcely worse than the attempted elegance which those unused to good society imagine to be the evidence of cultivation.

The aristocrat, when he wants to, has very good manners. The Scottish upper classes, in particular, have that shell-shocked look that probably comes from banging their heads on low beams leaping to their feet whenever a woman comes into the room. Aristocrats are also deeply male chauvinist, and ... on the whole they tend to be reactionary.

Everyone knows that in most people's estimation, to do anything cooly is to do it genteelly.

Vulgarity of manners defiles fine garments more than mud.