We don't bother much about dress and manners in England, because as a nation we don't dress well and we've no manners.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Shaw argues that English society lacks refinement in dress and manners, so they do not prioritize them.
- In plain terms
- The English do not focus on appearance or behavior because they believe they lack both.
- What can you take from it?
- A nation may ignore standards it feels it cannot meet.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does a culture ignore what it lacks?
- How do nations define their standards?
Another view
This is a sweeping generalization that ignores individual variety within England.
More from George Bernard Shaw
I'm only a beer teetotaler, not a champagne teetotaler. I don't like beer.
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