--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: “Good manners are free, but forgetting…" description: "\"“ “Good manners are free, but forgetting them often costs you dearly.” -Traditional Southern Wisdom”\" — Deborah Ford" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/deborah-ford-5148_good-man_good-manners-are-free-but-forgetting-the_2568531.jpg" --- # “Good manners are free, but forgetting them often costs… ![““Good manners are free, but forgetting them often costs you dearly.” -Traditional Southern Wisdom” quote by Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/deborah-ford-5148_good-man_good-manners-are-free-but-forgetting-the_2568531.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/deborah-ford-5148_good-man_good-manners-are-free-but-forgetting-the_2568531.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/deborah-ford-5148_good-man_good-manners-are-free-but-forgetting-the_2568531.jpg) > ““ “Good manners are free, but forgetting them often costs you dearly.” -Traditional Southern Wisdom”” [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Politeness costs nothing, yet neglecting it harms relationships and reputation. **In simple terms:** Good manners are free; ignoring them damages you. Key Takeaway Practice courtesy consistently. Themes etiquette respect social harmony reputation Mood reflective educational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - customer service - family gatherings - professional settings Key Concepts cultural norms interpersonal skills Questions to Reflect On - When have you benefited from good manners? - What situations test your courtesy? A Different Perspective Politeness alone cannot fix deeper conflicts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) [Good manners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-manners/) [Manners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manners/) ## Related quotes > [Some people tend to forget that kindness and manners are free...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/some-people-tend-to-forget-that-kindness-and-manners-are-free/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-post/manners-are-a-sensitive-awareness-of-the-feelings-of-others-if-you/) [Emily Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-post/) > [You can get through life with bad manners, but it's easier with good manners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-gish/you-can-get-through-life-with-bad-manners-but-it-s-easier-with-good/) [Lillian Gish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-gish/) > [The mother must set the example in holding out the shrine as the heart of the house hold! She must enforce discipline over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/the-mother-must-set-the-example-in-holding-out-the-shrine-as-the/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [“Modesty is a state of the heart. It veils the tongue. It clothes us in good manners. It envelops us with the best of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-bowes/modesty-is-a-state-of-the-heart-it-veils-the-tongue-it-clothes-us-in/) [T.J. Bowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-bowes/) > [Snobs look down on people, and I look down on everyone. Not in a snooty, classist way - I mean because I'm better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murdoc-niccals/snobs-look-down-on-people-and-i-look-down-on-everyone-not-in-a-snooty/) [Murdoc Niccals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murdoc-niccals/) > [It was good, too, to remember how hard a lot of people had to work to keep a kingdom running well, and that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-ferris/it-was-good-too-to-remember-how-hard-a-lot-of-people-had-to-work-to/) [Jean Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-ferris/) > [Teach a child good manners during babyhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nachman-of-breslov/teach-a-child-good-manners-during-babyhood/) [Nachman of Breslov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nachman-of-breslov/) > [When will conventional good manners become attractive? When will ladies of fashion exhibit their shoulders a little less and their affability and wit a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/when-will-conventional-good-manners-become-attractive-when-will/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [The sign of a person who has had an education is good manners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sai-baba/the-sign-of-a-person-who-has-had-an-education-is-good-manners/) [Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sai-baba/) > [Good manners and bad breath will get you nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/good-manners-and-bad-breath-will-get-you-nowhere/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [As a writer and director, I want to know what is behind the good manners and soft voice. Who is inside the silhouette?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/as-a-writer-and-director-i-want-to-know-what-is-behind-the-good/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > [I have been missing the point. The point is not knowing another person, or learning to love another person. The point is simply this:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-wells/i-have-been-missing-the-point-the-point-is-not-knowing-another-person/) [Rebecca Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-wells/) > [To follow good manners willingly is like paving the road and to tell somebody to follow them is like the road which is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/to-follow-good-manners-willingly-is-like-paving-the-road-and-to-tell/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Good manners are not bred in moments, but in years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-mcnair-wright/good-manners-are-not-bred-in-moments-but-in-years/) [Julia McNair Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-mcnair-wright/) ## More by Deborah Ford > [“ “Do Southerners laugh at different things than Northerners do? Yes, I say--Northerners.” Roy Blount, Jr., Roy Blount’s Book of Southern Humor”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/do-southerners-laugh-at-different-things-than-northerners-do-yes-i/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“Grits Glossary blues \\’blüz\\ n: nothing but a good man singing about hardship, sorrow, and the things he’s done wrong--but sake’s alive, they make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-glossary-blues-bl-z-n-nothing-but-a-good-man-singing-about/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“ “In the South, football is confused with religion, chivalry, the Civil War, and women.” -Diane Roberts, The Quotable South ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/in-the-south-football-is-confused-with-religion-chivalry-the-civil/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“ The Grits Guide to Southern Humor “If you don’t make fun of yourself, somebody is going to do it for you.” -Martie Maguire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/the-grits-guide-to-southern-humor-if-you-don-t-make-fun-of-yourself/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“ A Grits girl treated without TLC may end up a PMS…a Precious Moody Southerner! ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/a-grits-girl-treated-without-tlc-may-end-up-a-pms-a-precious-moody/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“ If the sweet lilt of a soft Southern accent isn’t music to the ears, we just don’t know what is. Music isn’t just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/if-the-sweet-lilt-of-a-soft-southern-accent-isn-t-music-to-the-ears/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“ Redneck Rules of Etiquette • To avoid bruising wine as you decant it, make sure to tilt the paper cup. • Your centerpiece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/redneck-rules-of-etiquette-to-avoid-bruising-wine-as-you-decant-it/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“Grits Pearl of Wisdom #13: If anyone tries to tell you a Southern girl shouldn’t drink, just tell them the truth: we don’t drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-pearl-of-wisdom-13-if-anyone-tries-to-tell-you-a-southern-girl/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“Grits Pearl of Wisdom #39: It’s been said that love makes the world go round. That may be true, but friendship keeps the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-pearl-of-wisdom-39-it-s-been-said-that-love-makes-the-world-go/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“If you’re single and you’re not having the greatest fun of your life, it’s high time to reassess your priorities. It may be hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/if-you-re-single-and-you-re-not-having-the-greatest-fun-of-your-life/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“ “The biggest myth about Southern women is that we are frail types--fainting on our sofas…nobody where I grew up ever acted like that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/the-biggest-myth-about-southern-women-is-that-we-are-frail-types/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“Grits Glossary hillbilly \\’hil-,bi-lē\\ n: a derogatory term that refers to people living in the next county or town; alternate forms include redneck, cracker,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-glossary-hillbilly-hil-bi-l-n-a-derogatory-term-that-refers-to/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“Entertaining is a way of life for the Southern girl. We’ve been doing it for over three hundred years now, and we’re not too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/entertaining-is-a-way-of-life-for-the-southern-girl-we-ve-been-doing/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“ Men are important to Southern girls, but they don’t define us. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/men-are-important-to-southern-girls-but-they-don-t-define-us/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“Finding and keeping a lifelong partner is a common dream of all girls, everywhere. Women love men (well, most of us, anyway--Ellen DeGeneres is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/finding-and-keeping-a-lifelong-partner-is-a-common-dream-of-all-girls/) [deborah ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) [Explore all 103 Deborah Ford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) ## More Good man quotes > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Good manners are not bred in moments, but in years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-mcnair-wright/good-manners-are-not-bred-in-moments-but-in-years/) [Julia McNair Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-mcnair-wright/) > [Troy was a sweet, good man. We just were never destined to be married. We just didn't have the same values. But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-pleshette/troy-was-a-sweet-good-man-we-just-were-never-destined-to-be-married/) [Suzanne Pleshette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-pleshette/) > [The life of a good man was a continual warfare with his passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/the-life-of-a-good-man-was-a-continual-warfare-with-his-passions/) [Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/) > [ I don't see \[ Trainspotting \] as an albatross, I see it more as a calling card. It's got me out to Hollywood, I've… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-don-t-see-trainspotting-as-an-albatross-i-see-it-more-as-a-calling/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [“I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/i-put-no-stock-in-religion-by-the-word-religion-i-have-seen-the/) [William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/) > [To follow good manners willingly is like paving the road and to tell somebody to follow them is like the road which is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/to-follow-good-manners-willingly-is-like-paving-the-road-and-to-tell/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“It is said that the hallmark of a gentleman is that he is only ever rude intentionally. Arthur Bryant was no gentleman. His rudeness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-fowler/it-is-said-that-the-hallmark-of-a-gentleman-is-that-he-is-only-ever/) [Christopher Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-fowler/) > [I'm a good man with a good heart had a tough time, got a rough start But I finally learned to let it go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-a-good-man-with-a-good-heart-had-a-tough-time-got-a-rough-start/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [ I've often thought about that and the only suitable member to join me on that climb \[to Everest\] was George Lowe: he was strong,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/i-ve-often-thought-about-that-and-the-only-suitable-member-to-join-me/) [Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/) > [Of course, when you play football yourself you can think you want to become a manager but it does not make you a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaap-stam/of-course-when-you-play-football-yourself-you-can-think-you-want-to/) [Jaap Stam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaap-stam/) > [“Falsehood of a good man is better than truth of a bad one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/falsehood-of-a-good-man-is-better-than-truth-of-a-bad-one/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [“Atticus adjusted his glasses as he peered down at the blanket. “Hey, is that the book Nellie told us about?” Jake’s eyes flicked to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jude-watson/atticus-adjusted-his-glasses-as-he-peered-down-at-the-blanket-hey-is/) [Jude Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jude-watson/) > [A good man therefore is a standing lesson to us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-good-man-therefore-is-a-standing-lesson-to-us-all/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [“Grits Glossary blues \\’blüz\\ n: nothing but a good man singing about hardship, sorrow, and the things he’s done wrong--but sake’s alive, they make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-glossary-blues-bl-z-n-nothing-but-a-good-man-singing-about/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) [Browse all 2,081 Good man quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“ “Good manners are free, but forgetting them often costs you dearly.” -Traditional Southern Wisdom”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Deborah Ford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/good-manners-are-free-but-forgetting-them-often-costs-you-dearly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Good man" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/good-manners-are-free-but-forgetting-them-often-costs-you-dearly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/deborah-ford-5148_good-man_good-manners-are-free-but-forgetting-the_2568531.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/deborah-ford-5148_good-man_good-manners-are-free-but-forgetting-the_2568531.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f63/deborah-ford-5148_good-man_good-manners-are-free-but-forgetting-the_2568531.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "““Good manners are free, but forgetting them often costs you dearly.” -Traditional Southern Wisdom” — Deborah Ford", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Deborah Ford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“ “Good manners are free, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/good-manners-are-free-but-forgetting-them-often-costs-you-dearly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/good-manners-are-free-but-forgetting-them-often-costs-you-dearly/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```