--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We count the courtesies accorded us by…" description: "\"We count the courtesies accorded us by unpopular people as offenses.\" — Friedrich Nietzsche" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/friedrich-nietzsche-15_courtesy_we-count-the-courtesies-accorded-us-by-u_393055.jpg" --- # We count the courtesies accorded us by unpopular people as… ![“We count the courtesies accorded us by unpopular people as offenses.” quote by Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/friedrich-nietzsche-15_courtesy_we-count-the-courtesies-accorded-us-by-u_393055.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/friedrich-nietzsche-15_courtesy_we-count-the-courtesies-accorded-us-by-u_393055.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/friedrich-nietzsche-15_courtesy_we-count-the-courtesies-accorded-us-by-u_393055.jpg) > “We count the courtesies accorded us by unpopular people as offenses.” [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We often view courtesy from unpopular people as an insult, because we expect respect only from those we admire. **In simple terms:** Courtesy from disliked people feels like an insult. Key Takeaway Recognize and appreciate unexpected kindness. Themes respect perception social dynamics Mood reflective critical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - workplace interactions - political discourse - personal relationships - community building Key Concepts ego humility social norms Questions to Reflect On - How do you respond when someone you dislike is kind? - Can you separate the act from the actor? A Different Perspective Not all courtesy is sincere; motives may be manipulative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accorded Unpopular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accorded-unpopular-3541713/) [Count Courtesies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/count-courtesies-3541714/) [Courtesy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courtesy/) [Offense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offense/) [Offenses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offenses/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Offenses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-offenses-3541712/) [Unpopular People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpopular-people-2058887/) ## Related quotes > [I should say the leadership's proposal in the Senate and the House are very unpopular. And when people realize it will raise taxes, raise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahm-emanuel/i-should-say-the-leadership-s-proposal-in-the-senate-and-the-house/) [Rahm Emanuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahm-emanuel/) > [We are told that this is an odious and unpopular tax. I never knew a tax that was not odious and unpopular with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sherman/we-are-told-that-this-is-an-odious-and-unpopular-tax-i-never-knew-a/) [John Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sherman/) > [Thousands and thousands of unpopular people die each years but no one had posted that the years are been so bad,so now that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan/thousands-and-thousands-of-unpopular-people-die-each-years-but-no-one/) [Dan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan/) > [“From Love In The Time of Apps: Goodwin had little doubt that in the end he would lose his action for divorce. Where could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-begler/from-love-in-the-time-of-apps-goodwin-had-little-doubt-that-in-the/) [Jay Begler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-begler/) > [I have a long history of being unpopular with people around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-cain/i-have-a-long-history-of-being-unpopular-with-people-around/) [Will Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-cain/) > [When good friends praise a gifted person he often appears to be delighted with them out of politeness and goodwill, but in reality he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/when-good-friends-praise-a-gifted-person-he-often-appears-to-be/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Kindliness, friendliness, the courtesy of the heart, are ever-flowing streams of non egoistic impulses, and have given far more powerful assistance to culture than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/kindliness-friendliness-the-courtesy-of-the-heart-are-ever-flowing/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The humanity of famous intellectuals lies in being wrong with gracious courtesy when dealing with those who are not famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-humanity-of-famous-intellectuals-lies-in-being-wrong-with/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Good manners disappear in proportion as the influence of a Court and an exclusive aristocracy lessens; this decrease can be plainly observed from decade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/good-manners-disappear-in-proportion-as-the-influence-of-a-court-and/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Spiritual strength and passion, when accompanied by bad manners, only provoke loathing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/spiritual-strength-and-passion-when-accompanied-by-bad-manners-only/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Nobody thanks a witty man for politeness when he puts himself on a par with a society in which it would not be polite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/nobody-thanks-a-witty-man-for-politeness-when-he-puts-himself-on-a/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“How insane we are as humans when having received a nasty offense we return the same awful offense. If given an apple found to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/how-insane-we-are-as-humans-when-having-received-a-nasty-offense-we/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Speed is always good, speed always kills. That's the type of offenses I've been in anyway. That's a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavon-austin/speed-is-always-good-speed-always-kills-that-s-the-type-of-offenses-i/) [Tavon Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavon-austin/) > [“If I expect nothing of you, it will be far easier to forgive your offenses than if I place my whole world in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/if-i-expect-nothing-of-you-it-will-be-far-easier-to-forgive-your/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/woe-unto-the-world-because-of-offenses-for-it-must-needs-be-that/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) ## More by Friedrich Nietzsche > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Every select man strives instinctively for a citadel and a privacy, where he is FREE from the crowd, the many, the majority-- where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-select-man-strives-instinctively-for-a-citadel-and-a-privacy/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“79. A soul which knows that it is loved, but does not itself love, betrays its sediment: its dregs come up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/79-a-soul-which-knows-that-it-is-loved-but-does-not-itself-love/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [We deceive ourselves when giving respect to the person for whom we have surrendered ourselves, when we respectively expect them to be as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-deceive-ourselves-when-giving-respect-to-the-person-for-whom-we/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“The great periods of our life occur when we gain the courage to rechristen what is bad about us as what is best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-great-periods-of-our-life-occur-when-we-gain-the-courage-to/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“What is life? Life - that is: continually shedding something that wants to die. Life - that is: being cruel and inexorable against everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/what-is-life-life-that-is-continually-shedding-something-that-wants/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [It is thus only this personal feeling of misery that we get rid of by acts of pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-is-thus-only-this-personal-feeling-of-misery-that-we-get-rid-of-by/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Writers whose thoughts are expressed with clarity and precision are assumed by readers to be superficial. Where the meaning is obscured, then readers give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/writers-whose-thoughts-are-expressed-with-clarity-and-precision-are/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“he does not wear a twitching, mobile, human face, but rather a mask, as it were, with its features in dignified equilibrium; he does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/he-does-not-wear-a-twitching-mobile-human-face-but-rather-a-mask-as/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Chastity is a virtue with some, but with many it is almost a vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/chastity-is-a-virtue-with-some-but-with-many-it-is-almost-a-vice/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The earth is like the breasts of a woman: useful as well as pleasing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-earth-is-like-the-breasts-of-a-woman-useful-as-well-as-pleasing/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Of all that is written I love only what a man has written in his own blood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/of-all-that-is-written-i-love-only-what-a-man-has-written-in-his-own/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [No shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/no-shepherd-and-one-herd-everybody-wants-the-same-everybody-is-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Pain makes hens and poets cackle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/pain-makes-hens-and-poets-cackle/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) [Explore all 3,486 Friedrich Nietzsche quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More Courtesy quotes > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Less of your courtesy and more of your purse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/less-of-your-courtesy-and-more-of-your-purse/) [Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/proverb/) > [Dullness is a courteous fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammad-mustafa/dullness-is-a-courteous-fear/) [Mohammad MUSTAFA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammad-mustafa/) > [Lobbying' is the activity of attempting to influence legislation by privately influencing the legislators. It is the result and creation of a mixed economy-of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/lobbying-is-the-activity-of-attempting-to-influence-legislation-by/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“...a great man who is vicious will only be a great doer of evil, and a rich man who is not liberal will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cervantes/a-great-man-who-is-vicious-will-only-be-a-great-doer-of-evil-and-a/) [Miguel Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cervantes/) > [“I would court you, with all the grace and courtesy that you deserve,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/i-would-court-you-with-all-the-grace-and-courtesy-that-you-deserve/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [The greater the man the greater the courtesy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/the-greater-the-man-the-greater-the-courtesy/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [“Out of all its squalor and human decay, its eruptions of butchery, India produced so many people of grace and beauty, ruled by elaborate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/out-of-all-its-squalor-and-human-decay-its-eruptions-of-butchery/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Show some mercy to this chair which has stretched out its arms to you for so long; please satisfy its desire to embrace you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/show-some-mercy-to-this-chair-which-has-stretched-out-its-arms-to-you/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-post/manners-are-a-sensitive-awareness-of-the-feelings-of-others/) [Emily Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-post/) > [His courtesy was somewhat extravagant. He would write and thank people who wrote to thank him for wedding presents and when he encountered anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/his-courtesy-was-somewhat-extravagant-he-would-write-and-thank-people/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [They who sow courtesy reap friendship, and they who plant kindness gather love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-basil/they-who-sow-courtesy-reap-friendship-and-they-who-plant-kindness/) [Saint Basil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-basil/) > [“If a lady offers you a kindness, you absolutely have to accept”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-wallingford/if-a-lady-offers-you-a-kindness-you-absolutely-have-to-accept/) [Maria Wallingford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-wallingford/) > [though I be but the prince of Wales, yet I am king of courtesy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/though-i-be-but-the-prince-of-wales-yet-i-am-king-of-courtesy/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Princes of courtesy, merciful, proud and strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-newbolt/princes-of-courtesy-merciful-proud-and-strong/) [Henry Newbolt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-newbolt/) [Browse all 527 Courtesy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courtesy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We count the courtesies accorded us by unpopular people as offenses.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Friedrich Nietzsche" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-count-the-courtesies-accorded-us-by-unpopular-people-as-offenses/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Courtesy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-count-the-courtesies-accorded-us-by-unpopular-people-as-offenses/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/friedrich-nietzsche-15_courtesy_we-count-the-courtesies-accorded-us-by-u_393055.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/friedrich-nietzsche-15_courtesy_we-count-the-courtesies-accorded-us-by-u_393055.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/friedrich-nietzsche-15_courtesy_we-count-the-courtesies-accorded-us-by-u_393055.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We count the courtesies accorded us by unpopular people as offenses.” — Friedrich Nietzsche", "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": "Friedrich Nietzsche", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We count the courtesies accorded us...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-count-the-courtesies-accorded-us-by-unpopular-people-as-offenses/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-count-the-courtesies-accorded-us-by-unpopular-people-as-offenses/#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 } } ] } ```