What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
The great secret, Eliza, is not having bad manners or good manners or any other particular sort of manners, but having the same manner for all human souls: in short, behaving as if you were in Heaven, where there are no thirdclass carriages, and one soul is as good as another.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The essence of good manners lies in treating everyone equally, regardless of their status or background.
In this quote, George Bernard Shaw emphasizes the importance of equality and kindness in human interactions. He suggests that true good manners are not about adhering to social norms, but rather about recognizing the inherent value of every individual, treating them with respect and compassion as one would in an ideal, egalitarian environment.
Themes
MannersEqualityRespectHumanityCompassion
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in discussions about social justice to highlight the need for equality.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes →Marriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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