Judith Martin Women Quotations

It is, indeed, a trial to maintain the virtue of humility when one can't help being right.

The stress of making small talk with in-laws is called being part of a family.

The most conventional statements are both true and welcome.

Sometimes we do things a certain way just because that is the way we do things.

Part of the skill of saying no is to shut up afterward and not babble on, offering material for an argument.

Nowadays people consider it a disgrace to admit that they are not stressed.

[after the death of a loved one] It is when there is nothing more to be done that the reality of the loss often hits with full force.

Generosity and gratitude are inseparably linked.

Being listened to should be sufficiently gratifying in itself, whether or not the advice is followed.

Appearing to pay attention when someone is speaking is one of the cornerstones of real social interaction.

The truly essential bargain between host and guest requires the guest only to respond promptly, show up on time, socialize with other guests, thank the host, write additional thanks and reciprocate. You needn't bring anything.

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

The way one was brought up isn't an excuse for rude behavior.

Question- Should I loan a small amount of money to a friend? Answer- If you are sure that you can, if necessary, spare both.

There are always proper responses, even to rude questions.

There is no etiquette rule that decrees one must give out personal information to anyone who asks.

Try not to annoy your relatives unnecessarily.

We are all entitled to our little harmless habits, but we are not entitled to demand approval for them.

What is Thanksgiving without a nutty relative?

What we have come to, through a combination of popular psychology and expanding technology, is a presumption that all our thoughts and feelings are worth uttering.

When someone has tried to please you, it is rude, as well as disheartening, to respond by announcing that the effort was a failure.

You should resolve not to seek public approval of your private business, when you are not also prepared to accept public disapproval.

Dishonesty is not the only alternative to honesty. There is also the highly underrated virtue of shutting up.

It is one of Miss Manners's great discoveries that one needn't contradict others in order to set them straight.