Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Quotes

Good manners are a part of good morals.

Etiquette is all human social behavior. If you're a hermit on a mountain, you don't have to worry about etiquette; if somebody comes up the mountain, then you've got a problem. It matters because we want to live in reasonably harmonious communities.

Etiquette means behaving yourself a little better than is absolutely essential.

It's one of these things that I've been struck by for so long about America. You know, this amazing politeness of American life that's not at all class specific. It's not like people get more polite as ascend the hierarchy of society. Just incredible good manners. It's always been something that I've noticed.

The underlying principles of manners- respect, fairness, and congeniality.

Politeness is good nature regulated by good sense.

There is reason in the distinction of civil and uncivil. The manners are sometimes so rough a rind that we doubt whether they cover any core or sap-wood at all.

Politeness is the chief sign of culture.

Civility is a desire to receive civilities, and to be accounted well-bred.

A moral, sensible, and well-bred manWill not affront me, and no other can.

Being polite to a person is not a sign of respect for them. It is merely a sign of a good upbringing and a balanced nature.

Respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners.

Manners are the hypocrisy of a nation.

People don't know how to behave in public anymore.

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.

I think the thing I miss most in our age is our manners. It sounds so old-fashioned in a way. But even bad people had good manners in the old days, and manners hold a community together, and manners hold a family together; in a way, they hold the world together.

Charm, I think, is education, really, no? I was educated to be nice to everybody. If you want to be rude and mean, I'm sure your life isn't that nice.

People are pretty respectful for the most part.

Manners are the basic building blocks of civil society.

Nothing is less important than which fork you use. Etiquette is the science of living. It embraces everything. It is ethics. It is honor.

For me, politeness is a sine qua non of civilization.

Civility is not simply about manners.

You can't be truly rude until you understand good manners.

Manners are love in a cool climate.

The Japanese have perfected good manners and made them indistinguishable from rudeness.