Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield Quotes

Politeness, n: The most acceptable hypocrisy.

It's not necessary to tell all you know. It's not ladylike--in the second place, folks don't like to have somebody around knowin' more than they do.

Courteousness is consideration for others; politeness is the method used to deliver such considerations.

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.

The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time and ability.

Very notable was his distinction between coarseness and vulgarity, coarseness, revealing something; vulgarity, concealing something.

I really have to edit myself - I need someone with a censor button around me all the time. I'm just a little unaware of what's deemed appropriate.

I don't want to go about offending people; that's not my plan.

He is forever poised between a cliche and an indiscretion.

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

I'm always concerned that I'm insulting the elder statesmen on the set by my crass behavior.

You should always leave the party 10 minutes before you actually do.

It would be bad form for me to describe people I don't know and don't understand.

Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.

Superior people never make long visits.

A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone's feelings unintentionally.

Women of quality are so civil, you can hardly distinguish love from good breeding.

You've got to know when to keep your mouth shut. The Senate's the cruelest judge in the world. A man's a fool to talk to other fellows about any subject unless he knows more about that subject than they do.

Minimum information given with maximum politeness.

Forbear to mention what thou canst not praise.

We don't have to be rude with each other; we have to be diplomatic.

What's so useful about the British culture of politeness is the level of passive aggression is really fun to write.

I get a choice every time I have to open my mouth: that it can be with civility and dignity and grace - or not.

I have realised that it's important to be a sport, be nice, and know what to speak and when.

I don't know where, or by whom, Judge Wapner was raised, but my parents taught me, when you don't have something nice to say about someone, say nothing.