--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Among well bred people a mutual deference…" description: "\"Among well bred people a mutual deference is affected, contempt for others is disguised; authority concealed; attention given to each in his turn; and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/david-hume-538_affected_among-well-bred-people-a-mutual-deferenc_3109225.jpg" --- # Among well bred people a mutual deference is affected… ![“Among well bred people a mutual deference is affected, contempt for others is disguised; authority concealed; attention given to each in his turn; and an easy stream of conversation maintained without vehemence, without interruption, without eagerness for victory, and without any airs of…” quote by David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/david-hume-538_affected_among-well-bred-people-a-mutual-deferenc_3109225.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/david-hume-538_affected_among-well-bred-people-a-mutual-deferenc_3109225.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/david-hume-538_affected_among-well-bred-people-a-mutual-deferenc_3109225.jpg) > “Among well bred people a mutual deference is affected, contempt for others is disguised; authority concealed; attention given to each in his turn; and an easy stream of conversation maintained without vehemence, without interruption, without eagerness for victory, and without any airs of superiority.” [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People of high social standing show polite deference while secretly feeling contempt and hiding authority, maintaining calm, non‑competitive conversation. **In simple terms:** Polite people hide contempt and control conversation. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden biases in social interactions. Themes social etiquette class dynamics communication humility power relations Mood formal reserved Type observational analytical When to use this quote - formal gatherings - business meetings - family dinners - political debates Key Concepts psychology sociology etiquette Questions to Reflect On - How does hidden contempt affect trust? - What can foster authentic dialogue? A Different Perspective May overlook genuine feelings, leading to insincerity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affected/) [Air](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Authority Concealed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority-concealed-5424389/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Concealed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concealed/) [Contempt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contempt/) [Contempt Disguised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contempt-disguised-5424388/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Deference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deference/) [Deference Affected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deference-affected-5424387/) [Eagerness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eagerness/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Interruptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interruptions/) [Manners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manners/) [Mutual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutual/) [Mutual Deference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutual-deference-5424386/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Polite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polite/) [Streams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streams/) [Superiority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superiority/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Vehemence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vehemence/) [Victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victory/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [The feelings of our heart, the agitation of our passions, the vehemence of our affections, dissipate all its conclusions, and reduce the profound philosopher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-feelings-of-our-heart-the-agitation-of-our-passions-the-vehemence/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Among the arts of conversation no one pleases more than mutual deference or civility, which leads us to resign our own inclinations to those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/among-the-arts-of-conversation-no-one-pleases-more-than-mutual/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [I have reflected a great deal on that event, and continue to do so. I cannot give you a complete answer in a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-i-jenkins/i-have-reflected-a-great-deal-on-that-event-and-continue-to-do-so-i/) [John I. Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-i-jenkins/) > [No one would be happier than Luther to be commended by the testimony of the time that he had been neither slack nor deceitful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/no-one-would-be-happier-than-luther-to-be-commended-by-the-testimony/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Christianity is the religion of melancholy and hypochondria. Islam, on the other hand, promotes apathy, and Judaism instills its adherents with a certain choleric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/christianity-is-the-religion-of-melancholy-and-hypochondria-islam-on/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) > [With increasing frequency and growing vehemence, you hear people saying they are ashamed to be Australians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/with-increasing-frequency-and-growing-vehemence-you-hear-people/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [Thou knowst the oer-eager vehemence of youth,How quick in temper, and in judgement weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/thou-knowst-the-oer-eager-vehemence-of-youth-how-quick-in-temper-and/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Moreover, Christians are born for combat, whereof the greater the vehemence, the more assured, God willing, the triumph: 'Have confidence; I have overcome the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/moreover-christians-are-born-for-combat-whereof-the-greater-the/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [The vehemence with which a person denies the existence of the serial bully is directly proportional to the congruence of the person's behaviour with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-field/the-vehemence-with-which-a-person-denies-the-existence-of-the-serial/) [Tim Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-field/) > [“One percent of the nation owns a third of the wealth. 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What were they, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-dundy/the-vehemence-of-my-moral-indignation-surprised-me-was-i-beginning-to/) [Elaine Dundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-dundy/) > [Desire , to know why, and how, CURIOSITY; such as is in no living creature but Man ; so that Man is distinguished, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/desire-to-know-why-and-how-curiosity-such-as-is-in-no-living-creature/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [Whatever they did, the Elysians were careful never to be vehement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/whatever-they-did-the-elysians-were-careful-never-to-be-vehement/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) ## More by David Hume > [“Beauty in things exists in the mind that contemplates them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/beauty-in-things-exists-in-the-mind-that-contemplates-them/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [“It is impossible for us to think of any thing, which we have not antecedently felt, either by our external or internal senses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/it-is-impossible-for-us-to-think-of-any-thing-which-we-have-not/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [All morality depends upon our sentiments; and when any action or quality of the mind pleases us after a certain manner we say it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/all-morality-depends-upon-our-sentiments-and-when-any-action-or/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [And indeed nothing but the most determined scepticism, along with a great degree of indolence, can justify this aversion to metaphysics. 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It could cause more human and financial suffering than the two world wars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-miliband/first-climate-change-is-the-greatest-long-term-threat-faced-by/) [David Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-miliband/) > [Be a pattern to others, and then all will go well; for as a whole city is affected by the licentious passions and vices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/be-a-pattern-to-others-and-then-all-will-go-well-for-as-a-whole-city/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [At first I thought I would have to put on an English accent and try a sort of affected Shakespeare thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/at-first-i-thought-i-would-have-to-put-on-an-english-accent-and-try-a/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [Every culture, if its natural development is not too much affected by political restrictions, experiences a perpetual renewal of the formative urge, and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/every-culture-if-its-natural-development-is-not-too-much-affected-by/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [Don't show them that you are affected.. 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