--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Flattery in courtship is the highest…" description: "\"Flattery in courtship is the highest insolence, for whilst it pretends to bestow on you more than you deserve, it is watching an opportunity to take fr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/sarah-fielding-19151_courtship_flattery-in-courtship-is-the-highest-ins_1265595.png" --- # Flattery in courtship is the highest insolence, for whilst… ![“Flattery in courtship is the highest insolence, for whilst it pretends to bestow on you more than you deserve, it is watching an opportunity to take from you what you really have.” quote by Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/sarah-fielding-19151_courtship_flattery-in-courtship-is-the-highest-ins_1265595.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/sarah-fielding-19151_courtship_flattery-in-courtship-is-the-highest-ins_1265595.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/sarah-fielding-19151_courtship_flattery-in-courtship-is-the-highest-ins_1265595.png) > “Flattery in courtship is the highest insolence, for whilst it pretends to bestow on you more than you deserve, it is watching an opportunity to take from you what you really have.” [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Flattery pretends to uplift but masks ulterior motives, seeking to exploit what you truly possess. **In simple terms:** Flattery hides selfish intent. Key Takeaway Beware of insincere praise. Themes trust manipulation relationships Mood cautious analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - dating - business negotiations - political discourse - friendships Key Concepts psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - When have you sensed hidden motives? - How can you respond to manipulative flattery? A Different Perspective Not all compliments are harmful; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courtship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courtship/) [Flattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattery/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) ## Related quotes > [I am none of those nonsensical fools that can whine and make romantic love--I leave that to younger brothers. Let my estate speakfor me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/i-am-none-of-those-nonsensical-fools-that-can-whine-and-make-romantic/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [The insolence of wealth will creep out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-insolence-of-wealth-will-creep-out/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [No man is nobler born than another, unless he is born with better abilities and a more amiable disposition. They who make such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/no-man-is-nobler-born-than-another-unless-he-is-born-with-better/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [The axiom of conditioned repetition, like the binomial theorem, is nothing but a piece of insolence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/the-axiom-of-conditioned-repetition-like-the-binomial-theorem-is/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [ Your sect \[the Jews\] by its sufferings has furnished a remarkable proof of the universal point of religious insolence, inherent in every sect, disclaimed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/your-sect-the-jews-by-its-sufferings-has-furnished-a-remarkable-proof/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The imagination enlarges little objects so as to fill our souls with a fantastic estimate; and, with rash insolence, it belittles the great to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-imagination-enlarges-little-objects-so-as-to-fill-our-souls-with/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Your depression is connected to your insolence and refusal to praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/your-depression-is-connected-to-your-insolence-and-refusal-to-praise/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [If a man is respectful he will not be treated with insolence. If he is tolerant he will win the multitude. If he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/if-a-man-is-respectful-he-will-not-be-treated-with-insolence-if-he-is/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Success is the space one occupies in the newspaper. Success is one day's insolence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/success-is-the-space-one-occupies-in-the-newspaper-success-is-one-day/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [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/) > [Mistaking insolence for freedom has always been the hallmark of the slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-reich/mistaking-insolence-for-freedom-has-always-been-the-hallmark-of-the/) [Wilhelm Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-reich/) > [Twice two makes four seems to me simply a piece of insolence. Twice two makes four is a pert coxcomb who stands with arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/twice-two-makes-four-seems-to-me-simply-a-piece-of-insolence-twice/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nearly all the Gauls are of a lofty stature, white, and of ruddy complexion; terrible from the sternness of their eyes, very quarrelsome, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ammianus-marcellinus/nearly-all-the-gauls-are-of-a-lofty-stature-white-and-of-ruddy/) [Ammianus Marcellinus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ammianus-marcellinus/) > [The insolence of base minds in success is boundless; and would scarce admit of a comparison, did not they themselves furnish us with one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/the-insolence-of-base-minds-in-success-is-boundless-and-would-scarce/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [And, when night Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/and-when-night-darkens-the-streets-then-wander-forth-the-sons-of/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) ## More by Sarah Fielding > [Yet if strict criticism should till frown on our method, let candor and good humor forgive what is done to the best of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/yet-if-strict-criticism-should-till-frown-on-our-method-let-candor/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [What I mean by love ... is this. A sympathetic liking--excited by fancy, directed by judgment--and to which is joined also a most sincere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/what-i-mean-by-love-is-this-a-sympathetic-liking-excited-by-fancy/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [ \[S\]haring in common, without any thought of separate property, had ever been their friendly practice, from their first connection. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/s-haring-in-common-without-any-thought-of-separate-property-had-ever/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [I fancied I had some constancy of mind because I could bear my own sufferings, but found through the sufferings of others I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/i-fancied-i-had-some-constancy-of-mind-because-i-could-bear-my-own/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [I believe no gentleman would like to have his family affairs neglected because his wife was filling her head with crotchets and pothooks, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/i-believe-no-gentleman-would-like-to-have-his-family-affairs/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [I often used to think myself inthe case of the fox-hunter, who, when he had toiled and sweated all day in the chase as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/i-often-used-to-think-myself-inthe-case-of-the-fox-hunter-who-when-he/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [I was condemned to be beheaded, or burnt, as the king pleased; and he was graciously pleased, from the great remains of his love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/i-was-condemned-to-be-beheaded-or-burnt-as-the-king-pleased-and-he/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [ \[H\]ow do I pity those who (assuming the name of friends) surround themselves with maxims importing the wisdom of doubt and suspicion, 'til they… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/h-ow-do-i-pity-those-who-assuming-the-name-of-friends-surround/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [I endeavor not to conceal that I believe there is a great mixture of desire in the passion which is called love--or rather, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/i-endeavor-not-to-conceal-that-i-believe-there-is-a-great-mixture-of/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [The supposition that it was possible for any woman to be so mean-spirited as not at least to wish to tear out her rival's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/the-supposition-that-it-was-possible-for-any-woman-to-be-so-mean/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [The words of kindness are more healing to a drooping heart than balm or honey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/the-words-of-kindness-are-more-healing-to-a-drooping-heart-than-balm/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [There appears to be but two grand master passions or movers in the human mind, namely, love and pride. And what constitutes the beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/there-appears-to-be-but-two-grand-master-passions-or-movers-in-the/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [Agreeable then to my present inclination, I formed the object of my own worship, which was no other than my own understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/agreeable-then-to-my-present-inclination-i-formed-the-object-of-my/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [The motives to actions and the inward turns of mind seem in our opinion more necessary to be known than the actions themselves; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/the-motives-to-actions-and-the-inward-turns-of-mind-seem-in-our/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) > [ \[F\]or women, like tradesmen, draw in the injudicious to buy their goods by the high value they themselves set upon them… They endeavor strongly… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/f-or-women-like-tradesmen-draw-in-the-injudicious-to-buy-their-goods/) [Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) [Explore all 33 Sarah Fielding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/) ## More Courtship quotes > [There are so many spiders, and their rituals, their mating rituals, their courtship ritual, can be very, very different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/there-are-so-many-spiders-and-their-rituals-their-mating-rituals/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [“Courtship is the time during which the girl decides whether or not she can do any better. Anonymous”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmuley-boteach/courtship-is-the-time-during-which-the-girl-decides-whether-or-not/) [Shmuley Boteach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shmuley-boteach/) > [“Courtship is an activity whereby one losses oneself … whilst trying to win someone’s love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/courtship-is-an-activity-whereby-one-losses-oneself-whilst-trying-to/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Love is a blazing, crackling, green-wood flame, as much smoke as flame; friendship, married friendship particularly, is a steady,intense, comfortable fire. Love, in courtship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/love-is-a-blazing-crackling-green-wood-flame-as-much-smoke-as-flame/) [Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/) > [So far, I haven't met anyone, and with an average fifteen-hour workday schedule, I hardly think it's probable... For the sake of my making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-burr/so-far-i-haven-t-met-anyone-and-with-an-average-fifteen-hour-workday/) [Raymond Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-burr/) > [I didn't want to tell the story of what makes two people come together, although that's a theme of great power and universality. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/i-didn-t-want-to-tell-the-story-of-what-makes-two-people-come/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [Women are angels, wooing: Things won are done; joy's soul lies in the doing: That she beloved knows naught, that knows not this-- Men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/women-are-angels-wooing-things-won-are-done-joy-s-soul-lies-in-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“The first six months are what I call the La La Land phase. This is what a lot of romantic novels, songs, and movies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-cummins/the-first-six-months-are-what-i-call-the-la-la-land-phase-this-is/) [Pamela Cummins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-cummins/) > [Ladies, A real man does more than loving and caring for you¦He loves Jesus more than you could do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loveleah/ladies-a-real-man-does-more-than-loving-and-caring-for-you-he-loves/) Loveleah > [Over the years of courtship and being together, we realized that there was no value left for anything. People just want to know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareena-kapoor/over-the-years-of-courtship-and-being-together-we-realized-that-there/) [Kareena Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareena-kapoor/) > [“Courtship had a new rule book. Somewhere. She’d never read it and doubted anyone else in her generation had either.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-lomax/courtship-had-a-new-rule-book-somewhere-she-d-never-read-it-and/) Carrie Lomax > [When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/when-you-are-courting-a-nice-girl-an-hour-seems-like-a-second/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The loss of courtship in modern days - like, people don't court anybody anymore. There's no beauty about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-vassilieva/the-loss-of-courtship-in-modern-days-like-people-don-t-court-anybody/) [Sofia Vassilieva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-vassilieva/) > [“Careful,” he said. “If you keep blushing like that I may do more than just draw you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/careful-he-said-if-you-keep-blushing-like-that-i-may-do-more-than/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [The natural world is full of females falling hard for stupid male display behavior, including bright feathers, big antlers, and bombastic courtship rituals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-conniff/the-natural-world-is-full-of-females-falling-hard-for-stupid-male/) [Richard Conniff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-conniff/) [Browse all 245 Courtship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courtship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Flattery in courtship is the highest insolence, for whilst it pretends to bestow on you more than you deserve, it is watching an opportunity to take from you what you really have.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sarah Fielding" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/flattery-in-courtship-is-the-highest-insolence-for-whilst-it-pretends/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Courtship" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/flattery-in-courtship-is-the-highest-insolence-for-whilst-it-pretends/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/sarah-fielding-19151_courtship_flattery-in-courtship-is-the-highest-ins_1265595.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/sarah-fielding-19151_courtship_flattery-in-courtship-is-the-highest-ins_1265595.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/sarah-fielding-19151_courtship_flattery-in-courtship-is-the-highest-ins_1265595.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Flattery in courtship is the highest insolence, for whilst it pretends to bestow on you more than you…” — Sarah Fielding", "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": "Sarah Fielding", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fielding/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Flattery in courtship is the highest...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/flattery-in-courtship-is-the-highest-insolence-for-whilst-it-pretends/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fielding/flattery-in-courtship-is-the-highest-insolence-for-whilst-it-pretends/#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 } } ] } ```