85 Best Courtesy Quotes About Showing Respect
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The virtue of courtesy is something we all should work on in ourselves.
Courtesy refers to showing politeness and respect towards others. Being courteous can make anyone a better human being.
Courtesy and respect towards others can improve your value in front of everyone. When we say "out of courtesy", we mean that an action was carried out from a place of respect.
The list of courtesy quotes given below includes courtesy quotations from authors like Alfred Tennyson, Madame de Stael, Henry Clay, and others. For more quotes about common courtesy, also check out these taking responsibility quotes and self-respect quotes.
The Best Courtesy Quotes
Here are some of the best courtesy quotes and sayings. Our list of politeness quotes will highlight the importance of always being good to one another.
1. “Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.”
― Henry Clay.
2. “We must be as courteous to a man as we are to a picture, which we are willing to give the advantage of a good light.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson.
3. “Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.”
-Jacques Maritain.
4. “It may be a mistake, that man, in a state of nature, is more disposed to cruelty than courtesy.”
-Mercy Otis Warren.
5. “Courtesy is the one coin you can never have too much of or be stingy with.”
-John Wanamaker.
6. “Courtesy is contagious - let's start an epidemic.”
- Evan Esar.
7. “Nothing is more becoming in a great man than courtesy and forbearance.”
-Cicero.
8. “While there is nothing wrong with being ambitious, you will get along better if you temper your ambition with courtesy. It is important that other people like you for you to get ahead, and being courteous is one of the best ways to make others like you.”
-Marjabelle Young Stewart.
9. “There can be no defense like elaborate courtesy.”
-V. Lucas.
10. “We will support people who have the courtesy to talk to us, and who would stop pitting us against our neighbors.”
-Jim Howell.
Famous Courtesy Quotes
A list of the most famous courtesy quotes is given below. It's always better to read quotes on courtesy from people you admire, isn't it?
11. “Oh, hon, it's the little courtesies that make life bearable, I find, wouldn't you agree?”
-Andrew Ashling, ‘The Invisible Chains - Part 1: Bonds Of Hate’.
12. “Courtesy is one's own affair, but decency is a debt to life”
-Rex Stout, ‘Too Many Cooks’.
13. “The small courtesies sweeten life; the greater ennoble it.”
-Christian Nestell Bovee.
14. “Every human being is entitled to courtesy and consideration. Constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought.”
-Margaret Chase Smith.
15. “One of the surprising things in this world is the respect a worthless man has for himself.”
-E.W. Howe.
16. “Not only the footwear, wear also the courtesy, respect, and gratitude in your heart while stepping out of home.”
-Rupali Desai.
17. “Certainly every man can be courteous, for it costs nothing, and is within the ability of all.”
-Nicias Ballard Cooksey.
18. “I pride myself on being courteous to people, and trying to fashion good relations.”
-John Bercow.
19. “Schisms do not originate in a love of truth, which is a source of courtesy and gentleness, but rather in an inordinate desire for supremacy.”
20. “I'll try a pagan friend, thought I, since Christian kindness has proved but hollow courtesy.”
-Herman Melville.
21. “Respect requires empathy, the capacity to anticipate and understand the feelings of others. It requires consideration.”
-Deborah Norville.
22. “Respect commands itself and it can neither be given nor withheld when it is due.”
-Eldridge Cleaver.
23. “Courtesy is only a thin veneer on the general selfishness.”
-Honore De Balzac.
24. “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”
-James Allen.
Kind Courtesy Quotes And Sayings
Some kindness and courtesy quotes and sayings to make you a gentleman are given below.
25. “A true gentleman is one that apologizes anyways, even though he has not offended a lady intentionally. He is in a class all of his own because he knows the value of a woman's heart.”
-Shannon Alder.
26. “A kindly courtesy does at least save one’s feelings, even if it is not professing to stand for a welcome.”
-Mark Twain, ‘Pudd'nhead Wilson’.
27. “A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.”
-Saint Basil.
28. “Politeness is the art of choosing among your thoughts.”
-Madame De Stael.
29. “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.”
-Thomas Jefferson.
30. “Don't just show kindness in passing or to be courteous. Show it in depth, show it with passion, and expect nothing in return. Kindness is not just about being nice; it's about recognizing another human being who deserves care and respect.”
-Colin Powell.
31. “Respect was invented to cover the empty place where love should be.”
-Leo Tolstoy.
32. “Courtesies cannot be borrowed like snow shovels; you must have some of your own.”
-John Wanamaker.
33. “Never say an unkind word to anyone.”
-Doug Melvin.
34. “I don’t wait for people to give me respect, I always give them respect.”
-Mariano Rivera.
35. “Kind words are benedictions. They are not only instruments of power, but of benevolence and courtesy; blessings both to the speaker and hearer of them.”
-Frederick Saunders.
36. “Politeness is a sign of dignity, not subservience.”
-Theodore Roosevelt.
Popular Courtesy Quotes
Some popular courtesy quotes and courtesy sayings are given here. Find your favorite ones from the list below.
37. “No one is more insufferable than he who lacks basic courtesy.”
-Bryant McGill.
38. “Courtesy costs nothing, but buys everything.”
-Hazrat Ali ibn Abi-Talib.
39. “I have always felt that if a man gives you a solid gold key to his door, he is entitled to the courtesy of a visit.”
40. “The key is to learn respect and honor the complications of other people’s lives.”
-Goldie Hawn.
41. “The greater person is one of courtesy.”
-Lord Alfred Tennyson.
42. “Respect begins with this attitude: I acknowledge that you are a creature of extreme worth.”
– Gary Chapman.
43. “Courtesy is a small act but it packs a mighty wallop.”
-Lewis Carroll.
44. "There is a courtesy of the heart it is allied to love. From its springs the purest courtesy in the outward behavior.”
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
45. “Courtesy dictates that we offer fellow wizards the opportunity of denying us entry.”
-J.K. Rowling.
46. “Punctuality is the stern virtue of men of business, and the graceful courtesy of princes.”
-Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
47. “To get down to the quick of it, respect motivates me – not success.”
-Hugh Jackman.
48. “Self-respect is the cornerstone of all virtue.”
-John Herschel.
49. “Other courtesies have been - other courtesy may be - we commend ourselves to thee paragon of chivalry.”
-Emily Dickinson.
50. “A large nose is, in fact, the sign of an affable man, good, courteous, witty, liberal, courageous, such as I am.”
-Edmond Rostand.
51. "Fishes live in the sea, as men do on land: the great ones eat up the little ones.”
- Pericles.
52. “We count the courtesies accorded us by unpopular people as offenses.”
-Friedrich Nietzche.
53. “Greatness is so often a courteous synonym for great success.”
- Philip Guedalla.
Courtesy Quotes To Show Respect
A list of courtesy quotes to show respect to people is given below.
54. “If we want people to accept us as we are, then we should accord the same courtesy to them.”
-Norhafsah Hamid, ‘Trying To Be Muslim’.
55. “Courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage.”
-Theodore Roosevelt.
56. “Good manners are just a way of showing other people that we have respect for them.”
-Bill Kelly.
57. “Moral authority comes from following universal and timeless principles like honesty, integrity, treating people with respect.”
-Stephen Covey.
58. “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
– Dr. Seuss.
59. “I just feel like if I do good work, then people should respect me for the work I do.”
-Scott Cann.
60. “I have a respect for manners as such, they are a way of dealing with people you don't agree with or like.”
-Margaret Mead.
61. “Respect comes in two unchangeable steps: giving it and receiving it.”
-Edmond Mbiaka.
62. “Respect is a two-way street, if you want to get it, you’ve got to give it.”
-R.G. Risch.
63. “Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.”
-George Washington.
64. “Greatness is so often a courteous synonym for great success.”
-Philip Guedalla.
65. “Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it.”
-Bill Bradley.
66. “Respect is appreciation of the separateness of the other person, of the ways in which he or she is unique.”
-Annie Gottlieb.
67. “There can be no failure to a man who has not lost his courage, his character, his self-respect, or his self-confidence. He is still a King.”
-Orison Swett Marden.
68. “Being brilliant is no great feat if you respect nothing.”
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
69. “Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear.”
-Albert Camus.
Courtesy And Respect Quotes
Some quotes about showing courtesy and respect to each other are given below.
70. “You can demand courtesy but you have to earn respect.”
-Lawrence Goldstone.
71. “Trying to live and work with each other without common courtesy is like trying to operate machinery without sufficient lubrication; friction builds, sparks fly, and the machine itself begins to break down.”
-Konosuke Matsushita.
72. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt.
73. “If you do not respect your own wishes, no one else will. You will simply attract people who disrespect you as much as you do.”
-Vironika Tugaleva.
74. “Your peers will respect you for your integrity and character, not your possessions.”
-David Robinson.
75. “Be loyal to those who are loyal to you. And respect everyone, even your enemies, and competition.”
– John Cena.
76. “If we are not free, no one will respect us.”
– A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.
77. “Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery.”
-Malcolm X.
78. “I am a believer in trying to treat people properly and trying to respond and making sure that I find the time to be courteous.”
-Richard Branson.
79. “There is no respect for others without humility in one’s self.”
– Henri Frederic Amiel.
80. “Men are respectable only as they respect.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson.
81. “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.”
– Richard Bach.
82. “When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.”
-Dalai Lama.
83. “I get no respect. The way my luck is running, if I was a politician, I would be honest.”
-Rodney Dangerfield.
84. “You can literally force yourself to be courteous, happy and enthusiastic with every person you meet. After you have forced yourself to be so for a short period of time... the habit takes over.”
-Zig Ziglar.
85. “We don’t need to share the same opinions as others, but we need to be respectful.”
– Taylor Swift.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the best courtesy quotes about showing respect, then why not take a look at these humility quotes or respect women quotes for more?
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Bachelor in Science specializing in Mass Communication
Lydia SamsonBachelor in Science specializing in Mass Communication
A diligent and driven mass communications graduate from Caleb University, Lydia has experience in media and a passion for digital marketing and communications. She is an effective communicator and team-builder with strong analytical, management, and organizational skills. She is a self-starter with a positive, can-do attitude.
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