---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The chief ingredients in the composition…"
description: "\"The chief ingredients in the composition of those qualities that gain esteem and praise, are good nature, truth, good sense, and good breeding.\" — Jose..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/003/joseph-addison-377_breeding_the-chief-ingredients-in-the-composition_3127683.png"
---

#  The chief ingredients in the composition of those…

![“The chief ingredients in the composition of those qualities that gain esteem and praise, are good nature, truth, good sense, and good breeding.” quote by Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/003/joseph-addison-377_breeding_the-chief-ingredients-in-the-composition_3127683.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/003/joseph-addison-377_breeding_the-chief-ingredients-in-the-composition_3127683.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/003/joseph-addison-377_breeding_the-chief-ingredients-in-the-composition_3127683.png)

> “The chief ingredients in the composition of those qualities that gain esteem and praise, are good nature, truth, good sense, and good breeding.”

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Esteemed qualities arise from good nature, truth, sense, and breeding, forming the basis of praise.

**In simple terms:** Virtue stems from nature, truth, sense, and upbringing.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate these four virtues.

Themes

virtue character social esteem

Mood

thoughtful reflective

Type

literary ethical

When to use this quote

- parenting
- teaching
- leadership
- community building

Key Concepts

moral philosophy education

Questions to Reflect On

- How do these virtues manifest today?
- Can modern society redefine 'good breeding'?

A Different Perspective

Emphasis on breeding reflects class biases of the era.

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[Esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esteem/) [Good breeding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-breeding/) [Good nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-nature/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praise/) [Qualities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qualities/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/)

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> [The intelligence of affection is carried on by the eye only; good-breeding has made the tongue falsify the heart, and act a part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/the-intelligence-of-affection-is-carried-on-by-the-eye-only-good/)

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> [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/)

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> [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/)

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> [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/)

> [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/)

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## More by Joseph Addison

> [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/)

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