“For tho' it is certainly more laudable, and a thing of greater moment, to be generous, constant, and magnanimous, than merely to be polite and well bred; yet we find, from daily experience, that sweetness of manners, a genteel carriage, and, polite address are frequently of more advantage to those who are so happy as to be possessed of them, than any greatness of soul or brightness of parts are to those who are adorned with those more shining talents. For those slighter accomplishments are of more frequent, or rather of constant and daily use on every occasion; as we are under a necessity of conversing daily with other people: Whereas justice, fortitude, and those other more exalted virtues, are of much less frequent occurrence. For neither is a generous or a brave man obliged to exhibit those virtues, every hour of the day (which indeed would be impossible,) neither has a wise man, or a man of great genius, an opportunity of displaying those extraordinary talents, but very rarely. As much therefore as those greater qualities exceed those more trifling accomplishments in weight and importance; so much the latter exceed the former in number and more frequent use.”

Source: Galateo: Or, A Treatise on Politeness and Delicacy of Manners, p. 3

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "For tho' it is certainly more laudable, and a thing of greater moment, to be generous, constant, and magnanimous, than …" by Giovanni della Casa?
Giovanni della Casa photo
Giovanni della Casa 10
Roman Catholic archbishop 1503–1556

Related quotes

George Long photo

“This power of attention is that which perhaps more than any thing else distinguishes those who do great things from those who can do nothing well.”

George Long (1800–1879) English classical scholar

An Old Man's Thoughts on Many Things, Of Education I

Aristotle photo
Samuel Butler photo
Anatole France photo

“Those who produced the things necessary for life, wanted them; those who did not produce them had more than enough.”

Book VII : Modern Times, Ch. IX : The Final Consequences
Penguin Island (1908)
Context: Penguinia gloried in its wealth. Those who produced the things necessary for life, wanted them; those who did not produce them had more than enough. "But these," as a member of the Institute said, "are necessary economic fatalities." The great Penguin people had no longer either traditions, intellectual culture, or arts. The progress of civilisation manifested itself among them by murderous industry, infamous speculation, and hideous luxury. Its capital assumed, as did all the great cities of the time, a cosmopolitan and financial character. An immense and regular ugliness reigned within it. The country enjoyed perfect tranquillity. It had reached its zenith.

William Hazlitt photo

“Those who make their dress a principal part of themselves, will, in general, become of no more value than their dress.”

William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English writer

" On the Clerical Character http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Essays/Hazlitt/Political/ClericalCharacter.htm" (January/February 1818)
Political Essays (1819)

C. V. Boys photo

“There is more in a common bubble than those who have only played with them generally imagine.”

C. V. Boys (1855–1944) British physicist

[Charles Vernon Boys, Soap-bubbles and the forces which mould them: Being a course of three lectures delivered in the theatre of the London institution on the afternoons of Dec. 30, 1889, Jan. 1 and 3, 1890, before a juvenile audience, Society for promoting Christian knowledge, 1896, 10]

Basil of Caesarea photo

“Those who love their neighbor as themselves possess nothing more than their neighbor.”

Basil of Caesarea (329–379) Christian Saint

Source: Social Justice, To the Rich (c. 368), p. 43

Hermann Rauschning photo
Theresa May photo

“More people vote for a TV show than a political party. And those who do vote think a man dressed as a monkey is more likely to deliver on his election pledges than any party.”

Theresa May (1956) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Speech to the Conservative Party conference http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/oct/07/conservatives2002.conservatives1 (07 October 2002)

Jean Jacques Rousseau photo

Related topics