Civility Quotes - Page 2

• Gratitude is the beginning of civility, of decency and goodness, of a recognition that we cannot afford to be arrogant. We should walk with the knowledge that we will need help every step of the way.

  Gordon B. Hinckley

  Gratitude, Needs, Arrogant

  Gordon B. Hinckley (2009). “Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes”, p.107, Harmony

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• Civility is the art and act of caring for others.

  Deborah King

  Art, Caring, Caring For Others

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• Politeness and civility are the best capital ever invested in business.

  P. T. Barnum

  Business, Patronage, Politeness

  P.T. Barnum (2016). “The Art of Money Getting”, p.60, BookRix

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• All of us should banish hateful communications and practice civility for differences of opinion.

  Dallin H. Oaks

  Communication, Practice, Differences

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• Diversity is not an abnormality but the very reality of our planet. The human world manifests the same reality and will not seek our permission to celebrate itself in the magnificence of its endless varieties. Civility is a sensible attribute in this kind of world we have; narrowness of heart and mind is not.

  Chinua Achebe

  Heart, Reality, Diversity

  FaceBook post by Chinua Achebe from Jan 01, 2015

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• Civility is the natural state for people who know how limited their own individual powers are and know, too, that they need the conversation.

  David Brooks

  People, Needs, Individual Power

  "David Brooks’ Extraordinary Blindspot" by Jonathan Weiler, www.huffingtonpost.com. January 14, 2011.

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• I know no religion that destroys courtesy, civility, and kindness.

  William Penn

  Kindness, Courtesy, Knows

  William Hepworth Dixon, William Penn (1851). “William Penn, a Historical Biography”, p.161

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• We are losing sight of civility in government and politics. Debate and dialogue is taking a back seat to the politics of destruction and anger and control. Dogma has replaced thoughtful discussion between people of differing views.

  James McGreevey

  Anger, Thoughtful, Government

  Farewell address to the state, www.huffingtonpost.com. 2004.

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• There can be no high civility without a deep morality, though it may not always call itself by that name.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Names, May, Morality

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1971). “The Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Society and solitude”, p.13, Harvard University Press

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• Perhaps the summary of good-breeding may be reduced to this rule. "Behave unto all men as you would they should behave unto you." This will most certainly oblige us to treat all mankind with the utmost civility and respect, there being nothing that we desire more than to be treated so by them.

  Henry Fielding

  Men, Desire, May

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• Cruelty hardens and degrades, kindness reforms and ennobles.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Kindness, Reform, Cruelty

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.4249, Library of Alexandria

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• The civility of no race can be perfect whilst another race is degraded.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Race, Perfect

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Illustrated)”, p.1253, Delphi Classics

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• All political movements are like this - we are in the right, everyone else is in the wrong. The people on our own side who disagree with us are heretics, and they start becoming enemies. With it comes an absolute conviction of your own moral superiority. There's oversimplification in everything, and a terror of flexibility.

  Doris Lessing

  Party, Reality, People

  "A Notorious Life". Interview with Dwight Garner, www.salon.com. November 11, 1997.

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• A good word is an easy obligation; but not to speak ill requires only our silence, which costs us nothing.

  John Tillotson

  Relationship, People, Silence

  John Tillotson (1794). “The Beauties of Dr. John Tillotson, Carefullet Selected from His Works [and] Containing His Admirable System of Early Education, Thoughts on Religion, Atheism and Infidelity, the Immortality of the Soul, Etc: To which are Prefixed Some of His Arguments for the Truth and Belief of the Christian Religion”, p.195

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• Our political debates today are corrosive and not reflective of the belief that Abe Lincoln espoused back in his day: that we are a great country because we are a good country.

  Jon Huntsman, Jr.

  Country, Political, Today

  "Huntsman joins WH race, promising jobs, civility" by Beth Fouhy, www.realclearpolitics.com. June 21, 2011.

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• We need to create a society in which civility rules over cynicism and apathy.

  Antanas Mockus

  Apathy, Needs, Cynicism

  "Citizenship, Colombia-style" by Yvonne Roberts, www.theguardian.com. July 22, 2008.

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• The need for civility in society has never been more important. The foundation of kindness and civility begins in our homes. It is not surprising that our public discourse has declined in equal measure with the breakdown of the family. The family is the foundation for love and for maintaining spirituality. The family promotes an atmosphere where religious observance can flourish. There is indeed beauty all around when there's love at home.

  Quentin L. Cook

  Religious, Kindness, Home

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• Nothing costs less nor is cheaper than compliments of civility.

  Miguel de Cervantes

  Cost, Compliment, Courtesy

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• So let us begin anew - remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof

  John F. Kennedy

  Weakness, Sides, Remember

  Inaugural Address, delivered 20 January 1961

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• Friends and good manners will carry you where money won't go.

  Margaret Walker

  Love, Inspirational, Friendship

  Margaret Walker (2016). “Jubilee (50th Anniversary Edition)”, p.496, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• All of civility depends on being able to contain the rage of individuals.

  Joshua Lederberg

  Able, Rage, Individual

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• I am the eternal optimist. I think that, over time, people respond to civility and -- and rational argument.

  Barack Obama

  Thinking, People, Argument

  "Obama takes questions on economy". Barack Obama's comments during his first prime time televised news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, www.cnn.com. February 9, 2009.

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• John Stuart Mill, in his wonderful 1859 book On Liberty, talks about civility. And this is why you should always be concerned about calls for civility. He points out that civility ends up getting defined by the people who are in charge. And you'll notice that when people argue for civility, they tend to actually believe that whatever they say is civil. And if they're angry about it, it's righteous rage. But if you say it and it's kind of sharp or mean, then it's incivil. ... And sometimes, disagreement-to be productive-can't be all that civil.

  Greg Lukianoff

  Believe, Book, Mean

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• The highest proof of civility is that the whole public action of the State is directed on securing the greatest good of the greatest number.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Numbers, Action, Proof

  Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ronald A. Bosco, Joel Myerson (2015). “Ralph Waldo Emerson”, p.440, Harvard University Press

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• I have often seen people uncivil by too much civility, and tiresome in their courtesy.

  Michel de Montaigne

  People, Too Much, Courtesy

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