Gertrude Stein Quotes

I deeply detest social distinction and snobbery, and in that lies my strong aversion to titular honours.

I am an aristocrat. I love liberty; I hate equality.

Freedom doth with degree dispense.

But in view of the constitution, in the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. There is no caste here.

One of the most considerable advantages the great have over their inferiors is to have servants as good as themselves.

However democratic and egalitarian we kid ourselves into thinking society might be, I think that sense of entitlement operates as basically and viciously as it always did.

Actual aristocracy cannot be abolished by any law: all the law can do is decree how it is to be imparted and who is to acquire it.

I like aristocracy. I like the beauty of aristocracy. I like the hierarchical feeling.

Things are not quite what they seem always. Don't start me on class, otherwise you'll get a four-hour lecture.

I didn't go to the lectures. My valet, who was more distinguished than I, went instead.

The very existence of government at all, infers inequality. The citizen who is preferred to office becomes the superior to those who are not, so long as he is the repository of power, and the child inherits the wealth of the parent as a controlling law of society.

The parson knows enough who knows a Duke.

I try to not be or associate with elitists.

As equality increases, so does the number of people struggling for predominance.

The beginning of reform is not so much to equalize property as to train the noble sort of natures not to desire more, and to prevent the lower from getting more.

Americans sometimes say to me that they have no class system themselves. All human beings have class systems. It can be based on a different thing in a different country, but the thing about breeding is, you can't buy it. You can't buy class.

I think snobbery is one of the oldest customs in the world, and the rich will always find ways to rank each other and make themselves feel more special than others.

There are only two classes - first class and no class.

Aristocracy is naturally abhorrent to me, and adored equality is my idol.

All shall equal be. The Earl, the Marquis, and the Dook, The Groom, the Butler, and the Cook, The Aristocrat who banks with Coutts, The Aristocrat who cleans the boots.

What makes equality such a difficult business is that we only want it with our superiors.

There is no distinction of persons among them, and deference is shown to merit rather than to noble blood.

A Plowman on his knees is higher than a Gentleman on his legs.

People assume that I'm an aristocrat, but I don't really feel part of any class.