When Virtues Are Pointed Out First, Flaws

You Should Resolve Not To Seek Public Approval Of Your Private Business, When You Are Not Also Prepared To Accept Public Disapproval.

Being Listened To Should Be Sufficiently Gratifying In Itself, Whether Or Not The Advice Is Followed.

A Wedding Invitation Is Sent By People Who Have Been Saying, "do We Have To Ask Them?" To People Whose First Response Is, "how Much Do You Think We Have To Spend On Them?

Shame Is The Proper Reaction When One Has Purposefully Violated The Accepted Behavior Of Society. Inflicting It Is Etiquette's Response When Its Rules Are Disobeyed. The Law Has All Kinds Of Nasty Ways Of Retaliating When It Is Disregarded, But Etiquette Has Only A Sense Of Social Shame To Deter People From Treating Others In Ways They Know Are Wrong. So Naturally Miss Manners Wants To Maintain The Sense Of Shame. Some Forms Of Discomfort Are Fully Justified, And The Person Who Feels Shame Ought To Be Dealing With Removing Its Causes Rather Than Seeking To Relieve The Symptoms.

People Think, Mistakenly, That Etiquette Means You Have To Suppress Your Differences. On The Contray, Etiquette Is What Enables You To Deal With Them; It Gives You A Set Of Rules.