--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Good-breeding is not confined to…" description: "\"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 contributing as mu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/henry-fielding-1358_art_good-breeding-is-not-confined-to-externa_20987.png" --- # Good-breeding is not confined to externals, much less to… ![“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 contributing as much as possible to the ease and happiness of those with whom you converse.” quote by Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/henry-fielding-1358_art_good-breeding-is-not-confined-to-externa_20987.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/henry-fielding-1358_art_good-breeding-is-not-confined-to-externa_20987.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/henry-fielding-1358_art_good-breeding-is-not-confined-to-externa_20987.png) > “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 contributing as much as possible to the ease and happiness of those with whom you converse.” [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good breeding is about fostering comfort and joy in conversation, not about outward appearance or behavior. **In simple terms:** Cultivating ease in dialogue. Key Takeaway Focus on others' happiness. Themes social etiquette empathy communication humility interpersonal dynamics Mood warm considerate thoughtful Type advice philosophical observational When to use this quote - networking events - family gatherings - customer service - team meetings Key Concepts courtesy active listening emotional intelligence Practical Applications - leadership coaching - conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - How can you measure the impact of your conversational style? - What habits help you prioritize others' comfort? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Breeding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breeding/) [Breeding Confined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breeding-confined-397044/) [Confined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confined/) [Contributing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contributing/) [Converses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/converses/) [Dresses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dresses/) [Ease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ease/) [Good breeding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-breeding/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Converse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-converse-397045/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Pleasing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasing/) [Politeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politeness/) ## Related quotes > [Perhaps the summary of good-breeding may be reduced to this rule. "Behave unto all men as you would they should behave unto you." This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/perhaps-the-summary-of-good-breeding-may-be-reduced-to-this-rule/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [The raillery which is consistent with good-breeding is a gentle animadversion of some foible, which, while it raises the laugh in the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/the-raillery-which-is-consistent-with-good-breeding-is-a-gentle/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [The constant desire of pleasing which is the peculiar quality of some, may be called the happiest of all desires in this that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/the-constant-desire-of-pleasing-which-is-the-peculiar-quality-of-some/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Yes, yes, children must early be made to practise piety, godliness, and propriety; a person of good breeding is one into whom 'good maxims'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/yes-yes-children-must-early-be-made-to-practise-piety-godliness-and/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [If proportion is the good breeding of architecture, symmetry, or the answering of one part to another, may be defined as the sanity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/if-proportion-is-the-good-breeding-of-architecture-symmetry-or-the/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [Good manners come, as we say, from good breeding or rather are good breeding; and breeding is acquired by habitual action, in response to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/good-manners-come-as-we-say-from-good-breeding-or-rather-are-good/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [Good breeding and good nature do incline us rather to help and raise people up to ourselves, than to mortify and depress them, and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/good-breeding-and-good-nature-do-incline-us-rather-to-help-and-raise/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [One principal object of good-breeding is to suit our behaviour to the three several degrees of men, our superiors, our equals, and those below…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/one-principal-object-of-good-breeding-is-to-suit-our-behaviour-to-the/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Wisdom and virtue are by no means sufficient, without the supplemental laws of good-breeding, to secure freedom from degenerating into rudeness, or self esteem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/wisdom-and-virtue-are-by-no-means-sufficient-without-the-supplemental/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The religion of England is part of good-breeding. When you see on the continent the well-dressed Englishman come into his ambassador's chapel and put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-religion-of-england-is-part-of-good-breeding-when-you-see-on-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [There are certainly numberless women of fashion who consider it perfectly natural to go miles down Fifth Avenue, or Madison Avenue, yet for whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-romains/there-are-certainly-numberless-women-of-fashion-who-consider-it/) [Jules Romains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-romains/) > [It has been said that true religion will make a man a more thorough gentleman than all the courts in Europe. And it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/it-has-been-said-that-true-religion-will-make-a-man-a-more-thorough/) [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) > [Compliments of congratulation are always kindly taken, and cost nothing but pen, ink and paper. I consider them as draughts upon good breeding, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/compliments-of-congratulation-are-always-kindly-taken-and-cost/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [There is no society or conversation to be kept up in the world without good-nature, or something which must bear its appearance and supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/there-is-no-society-or-conversation-to-be-kept-up-in-the-world/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [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/) ## More by Henry Fielding > [“Though Jones had formerly believed himself in the very prime of youth and vigor, his first encounter with Lady Bellaston both vexed and puzzled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/though-jones-had-formerly-believed-himself-in-the-very-prime-of-youth/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [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/) > [Adversity is the trial of principle. Without it, a man hardly knows whether he is honest or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/adversity-is-the-trial-of-principle-without-it-a-man-hardly-knows/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Sir, money, money, the most charming of all things; money, which will say more in one moment than the most elegant lover can in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/sir-money-money-the-most-charming-of-all-things-money-which-will-say/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [The greatest part of mankind labor under one delirium or another; and Don Quixote differed from the rest, not in madness, but the species…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/the-greatest-part-of-mankind-labor-under-one-delirium-or-another-and/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Want compassion is not to be numbered among the general faults of mankind. 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He must laugh when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-lover-when-he-is-admitted-to-cards-ought-to-be-solemnly-silent-and/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [If you make money your god, it will plague you like the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/if-you-make-money-your-god-it-will-plague-you-like-the-devil/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [As a conquered rebellion strengthens a government, or as health is more perfectly established by recovery from some diseases; so anger, when removed, often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/as-a-conquered-rebellion-strengthens-a-government-or-as-health-is/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [A wonder lasts but nine days, and then the puppy's eyes are open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-wonder-lasts-but-nine-days-and-then-the-puppy-s-eyes-are-open/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Custom may lead a man into many errors; but it justifies none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/custom-may-lead-a-man-into-many-errors-but-it-justifies-none/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [A grave aspect to a grave character is of much more consequence than the world is generally aware of; a barber may make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-grave-aspect-to-a-grave-character-is-of-much-more-consequence-than/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [The characteristic of coquettes is affectation governed by whim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/the-characteristic-of-coquettes-is-affectation-governed-by-whim/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) [Explore all 246 Henry Fielding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [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/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. 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