--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No rent-roll nor army-list can dignify…" description: "\"No rent-roll nor army-list can dignify skulking and dissimulation: and the first point of courtesy must always be truth, as really all the forms of goo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_army_no-rent-roll-nor-army-list-can-dignify-s_1018614.jpg" --- # No rent-roll nor army-list can dignify skulking and… ![“No rent-roll nor army-list can dignify skulking and dissimulation: and the first point of courtesy must always be truth, as really all the forms of good-breeding point that way.” quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_army_no-rent-roll-nor-army-list-can-dignify-s_1018614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_army_no-rent-roll-nor-army-list-can-dignify-s_1018614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_army_no-rent-roll-nor-army-list-can-dignify-s_1018614.jpg) > “No rent-roll nor army-list can dignify skulking and dissimulation: and the first point of courtesy must always be truth, as really all the forms of good-breeding point that way.” [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Courtesy requires honesty; truth is the foundation of good breeding. **In simple terms:** Being truthful is the highest courtesy. Key Takeaway Practice honesty in all interactions. Themes honesty courtesy integrity Mood serious contemplative Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - business negotiations - personal relationships - public speaking - media reporting Key Concepts Ethics social norms Questions to Reflect On - When have you chosen truth over convenience? - What costs arise from always being honest? A Different Perspective Truth can be socially risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Courtesy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courtesy/) [Good breeding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-breeding/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [The first point of courtesy must always be truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-first-point-of-courtesy-must-always-be-truth/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [It may be too much to expect that nations should be governed in their relations towards each other by the precepts of Christian morality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stillman-hillard/it-may-be-too-much-to-expect-that-nations-should-be-governed-in-their/) [George Stillman Hillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stillman-hillard/) > [Civility, which is a disposition to accommodate and oblige others, is essentially the same in every country; but good breeding, asit is called, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/civility-which-is-a-disposition-to-accommodate-and-oblige-others-is/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [Good breeding, a union of kindness and independence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/good-breeding-a-union-of-kindness-and-independence/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Defect in manners is usually the defect of fine perceptions. 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