Manners are of more importance than laws... Manners are what vex or soothe, corrupt or purify, exalt or debase, barbarize or refine us, by a constant, steady, uniform, insensible operation like that of the air we breathe in.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Burke claims manners influence behavior more consistently than laws, shaping society as subtly as air.
- In plain terms
- Manners shape us more than laws.
- What can you take from it?
- Cultivate good manners to improve social order.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do manners complement laws?
- Can bad manners undermine legal order?
Another view
Manners alone cannot replace the need for legal frameworks.
More from Edmund Burke
We must not always judge of the generality of the opinion by the noise of the acclamation.
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