--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some people are polite, and some are…" description: "\"“Some people are polite, and some are quick. Each one’s a good quality to have, but most of the time quickness trumps politeness.”\" — Haruki Murakami" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e60/haruki-murakami-21_time_some-people-are-polite-and-some-are-quic_1008937.jpg" --- # Some people are polite, and some are quick. Each one’s a… ![“Some people are polite, and some are quick. Each one’s a good quality to have, but most of the time quickness trumps politeness.” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e60/haruki-murakami-21_time_some-people-are-polite-and-some-are-quic_1008937.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e60/haruki-murakami-21_time_some-people-are-polite-and-some-are-quic_1008937.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e60/haruki-murakami-21_time_some-people-are-polite-and-some-are-quic_1008937.jpg) > ““Some people are polite, and some are quick. Each one’s a good quality to have, but most of the time quickness trumps politeness.”” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Politeness and quickness are both valuable, but speed often outweighs courtesy in practice. **In simple terms:** Speed often beats courtesy. Key Takeaway Balance speed with courtesy. Themes politeness quickness social dynamics Mood reflective analytical Type advice observational When to use this quote - workplace negotiations - emergency decisions - customer service - team leadership Key Concepts cognitive bias social hierarchy Questions to Reflect On - When does speed harm relationships? - How can you keep courtesy under pressure? A Different Perspective Quickness can lead to overlooking nuance or empathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Politeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politeness/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“A woman says to a man, 'Some people are polite, and some are quick. Each one's a good quality to have, but most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/a-woman-says-to-a-man-some-people-are-polite-and-some-are-quick-each/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I come from people who have always been polite enough to feel that nothing has ever happened to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-hampl/i-come-from-people-who-have-always-been-polite-enough-to-feel-that/) [Patricia Hampl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-hampl/) > [People in France are very intrusive when they recognize you. In New York, they are very polite, with quick words, so it's great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-tautou/people-in-france-are-very-intrusive-when-they-recognize-you-in-new/) [Audrey Tautou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-tautou/) > [I really think the more talent people have, the more polite they are: Laurence Olivier and Alec Guinness always arrived on time and were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-armstrong-jones/i-really-think-the-more-talent-people-have-the-more-polite-they-are/) [Antony Armstrong-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-armstrong-jones/) > [For some reason people are very polite to me, but some ask me for autographs and photos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafthor-bjornsson/for-some-reason-people-are-very-polite-to-me-but-some-ask-me-for/) [Hafthor Bjornsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hafthor-bjornsson/) > [“Even awful people can be polite for a few minutes,” their father told them. “Any longer than that and they revert to the bastards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-wilson/even-awful-people-can-be-polite-for-a-few-minutes-their-father-told/) [Kevin Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-wilson/) > [Cincinnati is a prettier city than people give it credit for, I like it here, like the people. They're so polite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-votto/cincinnati-is-a-prettier-city-than-people-give-it-credit-for-i-like/) [Joey Votto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-votto/) > [Swedes are such a civilised, perfect society - at least on the surface. There's a great safety net, a huge middle class, free education,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-skarsgard/swedes-are-such-a-civilised-perfect-society-at-least-on-the-surface/) [Alexander Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-skarsgard/) > [A gentleman is someone who does not what he wants to do, but what he should do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/a-gentleman-is-someone-who-does-not-what-he-wants-to-do-but-what-he/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The most part of men, though they have the use of reasoning a little way, as in numbering to some degree; yet it serves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/the-most-part-of-men-though-they-have-the-use-of-reasoning-a-little/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [One of the chief characteristics of a mob is its quickness. It is sudden. It pounces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/one-of-the-chief-characteristics-of-a-mob-is-its-quickness-it-is/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [ I have to use my strengths, which \[are\] my speed, my quickness and my movements. If I do that, I really believe that I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-have-to-use-my-strengths-which-are-my-speed-my-quickness-and-my/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [I have no great quickness of apprehension or wit which is so remarkable in some clever men, for instance Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/i-have-no-great-quickness-of-apprehension-or-wit-which-is-so/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [No," I said finally. "Slowness in Answering," she said into the handheld. "When's the last time you slept?" "1940" I said promptly, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/no-i-said-finally-slowness-in-answering-she-said-into-the-handheld/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [I pride myself in being physically the best that I can be, whether its cardio, strength or quickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cole/i-pride-myself-in-being-physically-the-best-that-i-can-be-whether-its/) [Justin Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cole/) ## More by Haruki Murakami > [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-writing-novels-is-like-planting-a-forest-then-writing-short/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, thena full minute...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sad-truth-is-that-what-i-could-recall-in-five-seconds-all-too/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Intelligent teenage girls were often instinctively theatrical, purposely eccentric, mouthing highly suggestive words to confuse people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/intelligent-teenage-girls-were-often-instinctively-theatrical/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“One by one, I'll face the tasks before me and complete them as best I can. Focusing on each stride forward, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/one-by-one-i-ll-face-the-tasks-before-me-and-complete-them-as-best-i/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Eleven o'clock had come and gone. I had to find a way to bring this conversation to a successful conclusion and get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/eleven-o-clock-had-come-and-gone-i-had-to-find-a-way-to-bring-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Some people get a kick out of reading railway timetables and that's all they do all day. Some people make huge model boats out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/some-people-get-a-kick-out-of-reading-railway-timetables-and-that-s/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When the time comes, everybody’s got to end up where they belong. Only me, I didn’t have a place to call my own. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-let-something-out-of-the-bag-before-yourself-knew-what-it-was-all/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) [Explore all 2,928 Haruki Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More Politeness quotes > [“The closest she got to pretence was politeness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/the-closest-she-got-to-pretence-was-politeness/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [The highest perfection of politeness is only a beautiful edifice, built, from the base to the dome, of ungraceful and gilded forms of charitable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-highest-perfection-of-politeness-is-only-a-beautiful-edifice/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [There are few defects in our nature so glaring as not to be veiled from observation by politeness and good-breeding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/there-are-few-defects-in-our-nature-so-glaring-as-not-to-be-veiled/) [Stanisław I Leszczyński](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/) > [Good-breeding is not confined to externals, much less to any particular dress or attitude of the body; it is the art of pleasing, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/good-breeding-is-not-confined-to-externals-much-less-to-any/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [I still do find it very difficult in the West to connect to this politeness of smiling, not saying how you're thinking or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waris-dirie/i-still-do-find-it-very-difficult-in-the-west-to-connect-to-this/) [Waris Dirie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waris-dirie/) > [With hat in hand, one gets on in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berthold-auerbach/with-hat-in-hand-one-gets-on-in-the-world/) [Berthold Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berthold-auerbach/) > [To joke in the face of danger is the supreme politeness, a delicate refusal to cast oneself as a tragic hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmond-rostand/to-joke-in-the-face-of-danger-is-the-supreme-politeness-a-delicate/) [Edmond Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmond-rostand/) > [Adrian's face was the picture of perfect politeness and restraint, meaning something disastrous was about to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/adrian-s-face-was-the-picture-of-perfect-politeness-and-restraint/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“In general, poor is polite and rich is rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/in-general-poor-is-polite-and-rich-is-rude/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“As the head of an expedition, you can't pussyfoot around being polite to everyone. You have to show your teeth once in a while;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-shah/as-the-head-of-an-expedition-you-can-t-pussyfoot-around-being-polite/) [Tahir Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-shah/) > [When I act tough they listen politely till the spasm passes. They know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/when-i-act-tough-they-listen-politely-till-the-spasm-passes-they-know/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [“In England I am always madam; I arrived too late to ever be a miss. In New York I have only been madamed once,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/in-england-i-am-always-madam-i-arrived-too-late-to-ever-be-a-miss-in/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [“Francis Bacon somewhere remarks that politeness veils vice just as dress masks wrinkles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-doran/francis-bacon-somewhere-remarks-that-politeness-veils-vice-just-as/) John Doran > [The sight of the bare katana inspires everyone to a practically Nipponese level of politeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-sight-of-the-bare-katana-inspires-everyone-to-a-practically/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [There is a politeness of the heart; this is closely allied to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/there-is-a-politeness-of-the-heart-this-is-closely-allied-to-love/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) [Browse all 377 Politeness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politeness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Some people are polite, and some are quick. 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