--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The true effect of genuine politeness…" description: "\"The true effect of genuine politeness seems to be rather ease than pleasure.\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d4/samuel-johnson-50_authenticity_the-true-effect-of-genuine-politeness-se_3000805.png" --- # The true effect of genuine politeness seems to be rather… ![“The true effect of genuine politeness seems to be rather ease than pleasure.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d4/samuel-johnson-50_authenticity_the-true-effect-of-genuine-politeness-se_3000805.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d4/samuel-johnson-50_authenticity_the-true-effect-of-genuine-politeness-se_3000805.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d4/samuel-johnson-50_authenticity_the-true-effect-of-genuine-politeness-se_3000805.png) > “The true effect of genuine politeness seems to be rather ease than pleasure.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Politeness eases social interaction more than it provides genuine pleasure. **In simple terms:** Politeness smooths interactions, not joy. Key Takeaway Practice sincere kindness. Themes politeness social ease pleasure authenticity Mood thoughtful neutral Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - customer service - diplomacy - everyday conversation - teamwork Key Concepts ethics social psychology communication Questions to Reflect On - When does politeness become insincere? - Can politeness coexist with authenticity? A Different Perspective Politeness may feel superficial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authenticity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity/) [Ease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ease/) [Ease Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ease-pleasure-582566/) [Effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effects/) [Genuine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuine/) [Genuine Politeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuine-politeness-4762915/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Politeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politeness/) [Politeness Ease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politeness-ease-4762916/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) ## Related quotes > [The ease and pleasure of a long marriage is like gold dust. You feel fed and sustained and that you're intimately known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-e-grant/the-ease-and-pleasure-of-a-long-marriage-is-like-gold-dust-you-feel/) [Richard E. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-e-grant/) > [“Thankfully, the nature of pain reminds us of what the ease of pleasure foolishly allows us to forget.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/thankfully-the-nature-of-pain-reminds-us-of-what-the-ease-of-pleasure/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Some place the bliss in action, some in ease, Those call it pleasure, and contentment these.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/some-place-the-bliss-in-action-some-in-ease-those-call-it-pleasure/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [True politeness is perfect ease and freedom. It simply consists in treating others just as you love to be treated yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/true-politeness-is-perfect-ease-and-freedom-it-simply-consists-in/) [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/) > [Politeness is fictitious benevolence. Depend upon it, the want of it never fails to produce something disagreeable to one or other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/politeness-is-fictitious-benevolence-depend-upon-it-the-want-of-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [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/) > [Marriage is the strictest tie of perpetual friendship, and there can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrity; and he must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/marriage-is-the-strictest-tie-of-perpetual-friendship-and-there-can/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Politeness is fictitious benevolence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/politeness-is-fictitious-benevolence/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Politeness is one of those advantages which we never estimate rightly but by the inconvenience of its loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/politeness-is-one-of-those-advantages-which-we-never-estimate-rightly/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [When the desire of wealth is taking hold of the heart, let us look round and see how it operates upon than whose industry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/when-the-desire-of-wealth-is-taking-hold-of-the-heart-let-us-look/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [At length weariness succeeds to labor, and the mind lies at ease in the contemplation of her own attainments without any desire of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/at-length-weariness-succeeds-to-labor-and-the-mind-lies-at-ease-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Whoever commits a fraud is guilty not only of the particular injury to him who he deceives, but of the diminution of that confidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/whoever-commits-a-fraud-is-guilty-not-only-of-the-particular-injury/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is the just doom of laziness and gluttony to be inactive without ease and drowsy without tranquility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-the-just-doom-of-laziness-and-gluttony-to-be-inactive-without/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“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/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. 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But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Authenticity quotes > [“the property that grounded the self in Romanticism was sincerity, and in modernism was authenticity, then in postmod ernism it is visibility.10”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/the-property-that-grounded-the-self-in-romanticism-was-sincerity-and/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Real artists offer authenticity, not just money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhymefest/real-artists-offer-authenticity-not-just-money/) [Rhymefest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhymefest/) > [“I figure the more people think I'm just mildly weird, the less likely they are to know how weird I really am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-hooyenga/i-figure-the-more-people-think-i-m-just-mildly-weird-the-less-likely/) [Melanie Hooyenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-hooyenga/) > [I think people can read authenticity and they know when you're involved and when you're just slapping your name on something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-la-anthony/i-think-people-can-read-authenticity-and-they-know-when-you-re/) [La La Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-la-anthony/) > [“I strive for authenticity even though it brings with it vulnerability and the inevitable judgment of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-r-w-lee/i-strive-for-authenticity-even-though-it-brings-with-it-vulnerability/) [L.R.W. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-r-w-lee/) > [Children go where they find sincerity and authenticity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantona/children-go-where-they-find-sincerity-and-authenticity/) [Eric Cantona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantona/) > [Accepting the reality of our sinfulness means accepting our authentic self. Judas could not face his shadow; Peter could. The latter befriended the impostor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/accepting-the-reality-of-our-sinfulness-means-accepting-our-authentic/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, focus your energy on what you can create.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-bennett/instead-of-worrying-about-what-you-cannot-control-focus-your-energy/) [Roy Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-bennett/) > [Anything that I ever do is from the heart and authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belinda-carlisle/anything-that-i-ever-do-is-from-the-heart-and-authentic/) [Belinda Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belinda-carlisle/) > [What I love about Nivea is they're all about authenticity. The brand isn't pretending to be anything it isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-virtue/what-i-love-about-nivea-is-they-re-all-about-authenticity-the-brand/) [Tessa Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-virtue/) > [There is nothing which so certifies the genuineness of a man's faith as his patience and his patient endurance, his keeping on steadily in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-nothing-which-so-certifies-the-genuineness-of-a-man-s-faith/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you're really famous, there's very little authenticity in people, so you prefer the company of children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-ryan/when-you-re-really-famous-there-s-very-little-authenticity-in-people/) [Katherine Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-ryan/) > [“We could not be fulfilled if we weren't inauthentic some of the time—inauthentic, that is, in relation to such things as our passing desires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/we-could-not-be-fulfilled-if-we-weren-t-inauthentic-some-of-the-time/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [No man knows the genuineness of his convictions until he has sacrificed something for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/no-man-knows-the-genuineness-of-his-convictions-until-he-has/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) [Browse all 1,437 Authenticity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The true effect of genuine politeness seems to be rather ease than pleasure.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-true-effect-of-genuine-politeness-seems-to-be-rather-ease-than/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authenticity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-true-effect-of-genuine-politeness-seems-to-be-rather-ease-than/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d4/samuel-johnson-50_authenticity_the-true-effect-of-genuine-politeness-se_3000805.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d4/samuel-johnson-50_authenticity_the-true-effect-of-genuine-politeness-se_3000805.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d4/samuel-johnson-50_authenticity_the-true-effect-of-genuine-politeness-se_3000805.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The true effect of genuine politeness seems to be rather ease than pleasure.” — Samuel Johnson", "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": "Samuel Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The true effect of genuine politeness...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-true-effect-of-genuine-politeness-seems-to-be-rather-ease-than/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-true-effect-of-genuine-politeness-seems-to-be-rather-ease-than/#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 } } ] } ```