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Manners Quotes

On etiquette, civility, and the character behind it.

Good manners are often tested not by comfortable company but by rude ones, and several quotes here explore that patience. Others look at manners as a marker of culture and era, sitting alongside our Good Manners collection for a closer focus on courtesy.

The keynote of simple folk is bad manners, familiarity. They intrude on one's private soul.

Quotes by Patrick Kavanagh

I want a gentleman. Someone with manners.

Quotes by Olivia Culpo

We were taught manners and we had to do our chores - Katie and I grew up as normal kids.

Quotes by Oliver Hudson

I seek constantly to improve my manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracted.

Quotes by Og Mandino

Persian social manners are well known, and there is no other society that can compete with them.

Quotes by Moshe Katsav

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

Quotes by Mary Wilson Little

Politeness is half good manners and half good lying.

Quotes by Mary Wilson Little

There's a real intense thing about manners in the South, a real prescribed way to be a woman.

Quotes by Mary Wiseman

Arles is certainly one of the most interesting towns I have ever seen, whether viewed as a place remarkable for the objects of antiquity it contains, or for the primitive manners of its inhabitants and its picturesque appearance.

Quotes by Marguerite Gardiner

For every rude executive who makes it to the top, there are nine successful executives with good manners.

Quotes by Letitia Baldrige

There is so much bad manners and oafishness in large corporations.

Quotes by Letitia Baldrige

Manners are nothing more than thinking about somebody else.

Quotes by Letitia Baldrige

I don't ever knock anybody; that's bad manners.

Quotes by Letitia Baldrige

Doubleday is used to my talking about manners because I am, after all, known for that, and that's my persona.

Quotes by Letitia Baldrige

The greater the controversy, the more you need manners.

Quotes by Judith Martin

I make a distinction between manners and etiquette - manners as the principles, which are eternal and universal, etiquette as the particular rules which are arbitrary and different in different times, different situations, different cultures.

Quotes by Judith Martin

Kafka is not interested in documenting the manners and mores of any particular place; he is not interested in probing the psyche of individual characters.

Quotes by John Kessel

Opinions alter, manners change, creeds rise and fall, but the moral laws are written on the table of eternity.

Quotes by John Dalberg-Acton

Civility is not simply about manners.

Quotes by Jim Leach

The show is like an Edwardian play - emotional life gets stepped on for the sake of accepted manners, and that's terrific for actors to play in.

Quotes by Jason Alexander

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is this "Manners Quotes" page about?
It gathers quotes on etiquette, civility, and character, ranging from lighthearted observations about rudeness to more serious historical reflections on moral reform.
What's the definition of good manners according to these quotes?
One classic line describes it as the ability to tolerate bad manners pleasantly, which sets the tone for much of this collection's playful side.
Do any of these quotes have historical significance?
Yes, one references a historical figure's call to end an inhumane trade practice alongside broader moral reform, tying manners to something far weightier than etiquette alone.
Are these quotes only about polite behavior?
Not entirely — a few also comment on customs and character tied to specific groups or eras, showing that "manners" has meant different things across history.
Where can I find quotes focused specifically on good manners?
Check out our dedicated Good Manners quotes collection for more on courtesy and etiquette.

One historic reflection even ties good manners to a much larger call for moral reform in society, showing how the idea stretches beyond etiquette alone. Browse Bad quotes for the flip side, or Good quotes for more positive reflections.