"Ingratitude, or neglecting to thank a person for a benefit
conferred, is punishable."
True politeness especially exhibits itself in regard for the
personality of others. A man will respect the individuality of
another if he wishes to be respected himself. He will have due
regard for his views and opinions, even though they differ from
his own. The well-mannered man pays a compliment to another, and
sometimes even secures his respect, by patiently listening to him.
He is simply tolerant and forbearant, and refrains from judging
harshly; and harsh judgments of others will almost invariably
provoke harsh judgments of ourselves.
The unpolite impulsive man will, however, sometimes rather lose
his friend than his joke. He may surely be pronounced a very
foolish person who secures another's hatred at the price of a
moment's gratification. It was a saying of Brunel the engineer--
himself one of the kindest-natured of men--that "spite and ill-
nature are among the most expensive luxuries in life." Dr.
Johnson once said: "Sir, a man has no more right to SAY an uncivil
thing than to ACT one--no more right to say a rude thing to
another than to knock him down."
A sensible polite person does not assume to be better or wiser or
richer than his neighbour. He does not boast of his rank, or his
birth, or his country; or look down upon others because they have
not been born to like privileges with himself.
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