Etiquette requires the presumption of good until the contrary is proved.
Emily PostRead
Any child can be taught to be beautifully behaved with no effort greater than quiet patience and perseverance, whereas to break bad habits once they are acquired is a Herculean task.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Teaching children good behavior requires patience, while unlearning bad habits is very difficult.
Emily Post emphasizes the importance of patience and perseverance in teaching children positive behavior. She contrasts this with the challenge of breaking bad habits that, once formed, are much harder to change, likening it to a Herculean task—a reference to the formidable challenges faced by the mythical hero Hercules.
Themes
TeachingBehaviorPatienceHabitsChildren
In practice
Example use cases
A teacher might share this quote in a staff meeting to emphasize the importance of nurturing good behavior in students.
More from Emily Post
All quotes →If you are hurt, whether in mind or body, don't nurse your bruises. Get up, and light-heartedly, courageously, good-temperedly, get ready for the next encounter.
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To make a pleasant and friendly impression is not alone good manners, but equally good business.
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An overdose of praise is like 10 lumps of sugar in coffee; only a very few people can swallow it.
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Courtesy demands that you, when you are a guest, shall show neither annoyance nor disappointment--no matter what happens.
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Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.
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