--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He had a cringing manner, but a very…" description: "\"He had a cringing manner, but a very harsh voice; and his blandest smiles were so extremely forbidding, that to have had his company under the least re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/charles-dickens-34_character_he-had-a-cringing-manner-but-a-very-hars_1524799.jpg" --- # He had a cringing manner, but a very harsh voice; and his… ![“He had a cringing manner, but a very harsh voice; and his blandest smiles were so extremely forbidding, that to have had his company under the least repulsive circumstances, one would have wished him to be out of temper that he might only scowl.” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/charles-dickens-34_character_he-had-a-cringing-manner-but-a-very-hars_1524799.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/charles-dickens-34_character_he-had-a-cringing-manner-but-a-very-hars_1524799.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/charles-dickens-34_character_he-had-a-cringing-manner-but-a-very-hars_1524799.jpg) > “He had a cringing manner, but a very harsh voice; and his blandest smiles were so extremely forbidding, that to have had his company under the least repulsive circumstances, one would have wished him to be out of temper that he might only scowl.” [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person can appear polite but hide a hostile nature, making any interaction uncomfortable unless they are visibly angry. **In simple terms:** Polite facade hides harshness. Key Takeaway Beware of hidden hostility. Themes appearance hostility social interaction Mood cautious reflective Type observational critical When to use this quote - workplace meetings - social gatherings - customer service - team projects Key Concepts psychology personality masking Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize hidden aggression? - Can politeness mask true intent? A Different Perspective Even a temper can be more tolerable than a constant scowl. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Interesting characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-characters/) [Temper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temper/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [You're so very good at that. The temper, the scowl. You must drink shots of testosterone in your morning coffee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-thurman/you-re-so-very-good-at-that-the-temper-the-scowl-you-must-drink-shots/) [Rob Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-thurman/) > [The woman had a humble, cringing manner. 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