--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: and even if she did find them ugly, she…" description: "\"“and even if she did find them ugly, she would never say so, because flattery had long since become second nature to her”\" — Milan Kundera" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70a/milan-kundera-120_nature_and-even-if-she-did-find-them-ugly-she-w_1729873.jpg" --- # and even if she did find them ugly, she would never say… ![“and even if she did find them ugly, she would never say so, because flattery had long since become second nature to her” quote by Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70a/milan-kundera-120_nature_and-even-if-she-did-find-them-ugly-she-w_1729873.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70a/milan-kundera-120_nature_and-even-if-she-did-find-them-ugly-she-w_1729873.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70a/milan-kundera-120_nature_and-even-if-she-did-find-them-ugly-she-w_1729873.jpg) > ““and even if she did find them ugly, she would never say so, because flattery had long since become second nature to her”” [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She hides true feelings to avoid hurting others, making flattery habitual. **In simple terms:** She pretends to praise to be kind. Key Takeaway Practice honest communication over false flattery. Themes honesty social etiquette self-protection Mood thoughtful melancholic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - friendship - romantic relationships - workplace interactions Key Concepts flattery authenticity interpersonal dynamics Questions to Reflect On - When is polite praise harmful? - How can you express truth kindly? A Different Perspective May cause resentment or loss of trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Flattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattery/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [When I did 'Ugly Betty' it was very similar to working on 'Mad Men' - great group of people in their own little world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-batt/when-i-did-ugly-betty-it-was-very-similar-to-working-on-mad-men-great/) [Bryan Batt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-batt/) > [Some say I'm beautiful, some say I'm ugly, some say I'm a bitch. Well I say I'm I don't give a fuck what anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nessa-nicolee/some-say-i-m-beautiful-some-say-i-m-ugly-some-say-i-m-a-bitch-well-i/) [Nessa Nicolee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nessa-nicolee/) > [I was hanging around the hot girls once and after the fourth time they heard me make some kind of self-deprecating reference about myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-povitsky/i-was-hanging-around-the-hot-girls-once-and-after-the-fourth-time/) [Esther Povitsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-povitsky/) > [Some women hold up dresses that are so ugly and they always say the same thing: 'This looks much better on.' On what? On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-rudner/some-women-hold-up-dresses-that-are-so-ugly-and-they-always-say-the-2/) [Rita Rudner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-rudner/) > [Say I'm ugly,say I'm disgusting it don't matter because I'm CUTE!!!!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-chica15/say-i-m-ugly-say-i-m-disgusting-it-don-t-matter-because-i-m-cute/) [Yo-chica15](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-chica15/) > [“She look me over from head to foot. Then she cackle. Sound like a death rattle. You sure is ugly, she say, like she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/she-look-me-over-from-head-to-foot-then-she-cackle-sound-like-a-death/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Malone is surly, scary and ugly,” I say. “So I’m gonna pass on him, if you don’t mind.” “I don’t know,” Chantal says. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristan-higgins/malone-is-surly-scary-and-ugly-i-say-so-i-m-gonna-pass-on-him-if-you/) [Kristan Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristan-higgins/) > [No matter how ugly they may say you are u are always beautiful on the inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hailee-simpson/no-matter-how-ugly-they-may-say-you-are-u-are-always-beautiful-on-the/) Hailee Simpson > [“Some women hold up dresses that are so ugly and they always say the same thing: ‘This looks much better on.’ On what? On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-king/some-women-hold-up-dresses-that-are-so-ugly-and-they-always-say-the/) [Bart King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-king/) > [The girl was grateful to the young man for every bit of flattery; she wanted to linger for a moment in its warmth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-girl-was-grateful-to-the-young-man-for-every-bit-of-flattery-she/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The most skillful flattery is to let a person talk on, and be a listener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/the-most-skillful-flattery-is-to-let-a-person-talk-on-and-be-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [I'm not drunk, I'm just intoxicated by you. I was so enchanted by your beauty that I ran into that wall over there. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paperboi/i-m-not-drunk-i-m-just-intoxicated-by-you-i-was-so-enchanted-by-your/) Paperboi > [By God, I cannot flatter, I do defy The tongues of soothers! but a braver place In my heart's love hath no man than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/by-god-i-cannot-flatter-i-do-defy-the-tongues-of-soothers-but-a/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“What a situation!' cried Miss Squeers; '...What is the reason that men fall in love with me, whether I like it or not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-a-situation-cried-miss-squeers-what-is-the-reason-that-men-fall/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Flattery looks like friendship, just like a wolf looks like a dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/flattery-looks-like-friendship-just-like-a-wolf-looks-like-a-dog/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) ## More by Milan Kundera > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“From that time on they both looked forward to sleeping together. I might even say that the goal of their lovemaking was not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/from-that-time-on-they-both-looked-forward-to-sleeping-together-i/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/beauty-in-the-european-sense-has-always-had-a-premeditated-quality-to/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The beauty of New York is unintentional; it arose independent of human design, like a stalagmite cavern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-beauty-of-new-york-is-unintentional-it-arose-independent-of-human/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/children-never-look-back-and-this-meant-that-we-must-never-allow-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Our lives may be separate, but they run in the same direction, like parallel lines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/our-lives-may-be-separate-but-they-run-in-the-same-direction-like/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Having a child is to show an absolute accord with mankind. If I have a child, it's as though I'm saying: I was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/having-a-child-is-to-show-an-absolute-accord-with-mankind-if-i-have-a/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Love is a battle," said Marie-Claude, still smiling. "And I plan to go on fighting. To the end." Love is a battle?" said Franz.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/love-is-a-battle-said-marie-claude-still-smiling-and-i-plan-to-go-on/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“He remained annoyed with himself until he realized that not knowing what he wanted was actually quite natural. We can never know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/he-remained-annoyed-with-himself-until-he-realized-that-not-knowing/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [When we ignore the body, we are more easily victimized by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/when-we-ignore-the-body-we-are-more-easily-victimized-by-it/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Do stories, apart from happening, being, have something to say? For all my skepticism, some trace of irrational superstition did survive in me, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/do-stories-apart-from-happening-being-have-something-to-say-for-all/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Os extremos delimitam a fronteira para além da qual a vida termina, e a paixão pelo extremismo, tanto em arte como em política, é…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/os-extremos-delimitam-a-fronteira-para-al-m-da-qual-a-vida-termina-e/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Anyone whose goal is 'something higher' must expect someday to suffer vertigo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/anyone-whose-goal-is-something-higher-must-expect-someday-to-suffer/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) [Explore all 952 Milan Kundera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## More Flattery quotes > [“Flattery looks like friendship, just like a wolf looks like a dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/flattery-looks-like-friendship-just-like-a-wolf-looks-like-a-dog/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“What a situation!' cried Miss Squeers; '...What is the reason that men fall in love with me, whether I like it or not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-a-situation-cried-miss-squeers-what-is-the-reason-that-men-fall/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [By God, I cannot flatter, I do defy The tongues of soothers! but a braver place In my heart's love hath no man than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/by-god-i-cannot-flatter-i-do-defy-the-tongues-of-soothers-but-a/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I'm not drunk, I'm just intoxicated by you. I was so enchanted by your beauty that I ran into that wall over there. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paperboi/i-m-not-drunk-i-m-just-intoxicated-by-you-i-was-so-enchanted-by-your/) Paperboi > [The most skillful flattery is to let a person talk on, and be a listener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/the-most-skillful-flattery-is-to-let-a-person-talk-on-and-be-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Love of another is merely empty flattery and self-deception for one who cannot accept himself without pretense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/love-of-another-is-merely-empty-flattery-and-self-deception-for-one/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [I have a car that I call Flattery because it gets me nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henny-youngman/i-have-a-car-that-i-call-flattery-because-it-gets-me-nowhere/) [Henny Youngman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henny-youngman/) > [Dont get confused between flattery and kindness these are the new kind of deceptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chops/dont-get-confused-between-flattery-and-kindness-these-are-the-new/) [Chops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chops/) > [It is an unquestionable truth, that the body of the people in every country desire sincerely its prosperity. But it is equally unquestionable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/it-is-an-unquestionable-truth-that-the-body-of-the-people-in-every/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Truth and ceremony are two things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/truth-and-ceremony-are-two-things/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [The best form of flattery is to master the art of listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/the-best-form-of-flattery-is-to-master-the-art-of-listening/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“You are the belle of the ball tonight.” He said as he moved in closer. “How can you be so sinfully beautiful Mrs. Norman?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-gray/you-are-the-belle-of-the-ball-tonight-he-said-as-he-moved-in-closer/) [Barry Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-gray/) > [He who says he hates all kinds of flattery, and says so in earnest, has undoubtedly not as yet become acquainted with all kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/he-who-says-he-hates-all-kinds-of-flattery-and-says-so-in-earnest-has/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [What signifies protesting so against flattery when a person speaks well of one, it must either be true or false, you know if true,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/what-signifies-protesting-so-against-flattery-when-a-person-speaks/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [But it is hard to know them from friends, they are so obsequious and full of protestations; for a wolf resembles a dog, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/but-it-is-hard-to-know-them-from-friends-they-are-so-obsequious-and/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) [Browse all 636 Flattery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattery/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“and even if she did find them ugly, she would never say so, because flattery had long since become second nature to her”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Milan Kundera" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/and-even-if-she-did-find-them-ugly-she-would-never-say-so-because/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Flattery" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/and-even-if-she-did-find-them-ugly-she-would-never-say-so-because/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70a/milan-kundera-120_nature_and-even-if-she-did-find-them-ugly-she-w_1729873.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70a/milan-kundera-120_nature_and-even-if-she-did-find-them-ugly-she-w_1729873.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70a/milan-kundera-120_nature_and-even-if-she-did-find-them-ugly-she-w_1729873.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“and even if she did find them ugly, she would never say so, because flattery had long since become second…” — Milan Kundera", "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": "Milan Kundera", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“and even if she did find...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/and-even-if-she-did-find-them-ugly-she-would-never-say-so-because/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/and-even-if-she-did-find-them-ugly-she-would-never-say-so-because/#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 } } ] } ```