--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Funny how a little politeness can change…" description: "\"Funny how a little politeness can change people's minds.\" — Sherman Alexie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/sherman-alexie-444_littles_funny-how-a-little-politeness-can-change_1711749.png" --- # Funny how a little politeness can change people's minds. ![“Funny how a little politeness can change people's minds.” quote by Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/sherman-alexie-444_littles_funny-how-a-little-politeness-can-change_1711749.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/sherman-alexie-444_littles_funny-how-a-little-politeness-can-change_1711749.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/sherman-alexie-444_littles_funny-how-a-little-politeness-can-change_1711749.png) > “Funny how a little politeness can change people's minds.” [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shows that small acts of politeness can shift opinions. **In simple terms:** Politeness can change minds. Key Takeaway Use courtesy to influence others. Themes politeness communication influence Mood empathetic practical Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - customer service - negotiations - conflict resolution - team meetings Key Concepts social psychology behavioral change Questions to Reflect On - When has politeness helped you persuade someone? - What limits politeness in changing minds? A Different Perspective Politeness alone may not overcome deep bias. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politeness/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“A little politeness might smooth the way ahead. Knowing it was his turn to be dispatched, the best he could hope for was as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-lamb/a-little-politeness-might-smooth-the-way-ahead-knowing-it-was-his/) Victoria Lamb > [“I don’t understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little – if only out of politeness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/culver-connor-mccall/i-don-t-understand-how-a-woman-can-leave-the-house-without-fixing-2/) Culver Connor McCall > [You can't change people's minds, we are not God. We can do our best to do what we do, whatever job we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lachapelle/you-can-t-change-people-s-minds-we-are-not-god-we-can-do-our-best-to/) [David LaChapelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lachapelle/) > [You cannot expect soldiers to change people's minds. That has to be done in other ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-jackson/you-cannot-expect-soldiers-to-change-people-s-minds-that-has-to-be/) [Mike Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-jackson/) > ['Hairspray' maybe did change people's minds, and that's how you get your political enemies to change their minds - by making them laugh and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/hairspray-maybe-did-change-people-s-minds-and-that-s-how-you-get-your/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [It is hard to change people's minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/it-is-hard-to-change-people-s-minds/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [Very often design is the most immediate way of defining what products become in people's minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/very-often-design-is-the-most-immediate-way-of-defining-what-products/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [I guess it's nice to know I still resonate in people's minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-chlumsky/i-guess-it-s-nice-to-know-i-still-resonate-in-people-s-minds/) [Anna Chlumsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-chlumsky/) > [People's minds are overloaded with information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-leech/people-s-minds-are-overloaded-with-information/) [Allen Leech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-leech/) > [There's no difference in a lot of people's minds between good musicians and popular musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dweezil-zappa/there-s-no-difference-in-a-lot-of-people-s-minds-between-good/) [Dweezil Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dweezil-zappa/) > [Interruption, incoherence, surprise are the ordinary conditions of our life. They have even become real needs for many people, whose minds are no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/interruption-incoherence-surprise-are-the-ordinary-conditions-of-our/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [For the people whose minds are in the past, even a heavy rain cannot bring them to the present time!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/for-the-people-whose-minds-are-in-the-past-even-a-heavy-rain-cannot/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [If you worry less about what people think of you, you can pick up an astonishing amount of information about them. You no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/if-you-worry-less-about-what-people-think-of-you-you-can-pick-up-an/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) > [We have no right ever to forget that psychological warfare is a struggle for winning people's minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-gorbachev/we-have-no-right-ever-to-forget-that-psychological-warfare-is-a/) [Mikhail Gorbachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-gorbachev/) > [The end of the world is on people's minds. We have the power to destroy or save ourselves, but the question is what do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/the-end-of-the-world-is-on-people-s-minds-we-have-the-power-to/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) ## More by Sherman Alexie > [“He says the earth is an oval marble that nobody can win. He says the sky is not blue and the grass is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/he-says-the-earth-is-an-oval-marble-that-nobody-can-win-he-says-the/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Now, in the old days, Indians used to be forgiving of any kind of eccentricity. In fact, weird people were often celebrated. Epileptics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/now-in-the-old-days-indians-used-to-be-forgiving-of-any-kind-of/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Since Jesus was human then he most assuredly farted and burped. And if God did create us in God's image then God must fart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/since-jesus-was-human-then-he-most-assuredly-farted-and-burped-and-if/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“A century ago she might have been beautiful, her face reflected in the river instead of a mirror. But all the years have changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/a-century-ago-she-might-have-been-beautiful-her-face-reflected-in-the/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“In all those stories, I could fly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/in-all-those-stories-i-could-fly/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I don't think there's a whole lot of class literature at all. I think most of that has become racially based, and people don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-whole-lot-of-class-literature-at-all-i-think/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [She wanted to be buried in a coffin filled with used paperbacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/she-wanted-to-be-buried-in-a-coffin-filled-with-used-paperbacks/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Is there really a difference between that killing and this killing? Does God approve of some killing and not other killing? If I kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/is-there-really-a-difference-between-that-killing-and-this-killing/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Son, things have never been like how you think they used to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/son-things-have-never-been-like-how-you-think-they-used-to-be/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [My parents banned nothing, though the Christian fundamentalists in my tribe held book-and-record burnings every now and again. So, yes, fundamentalist assholes can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/my-parents-banned-nothing-though-the-christian-fundamentalists-in-my/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Or maybe I could have anesthetized myself with homework and extra credit and binge-reading.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/or-maybe-i-could-have-anesthetized-myself-with-homework-and-extra/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Dear wife, I'm sorry that I am mysteriously incapable of folding clean laundry, but I iron, oh, I iron. Sweetheart, I'll make your white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/dear-wife-i-m-sorry-that-i-am-mysteriously-incapable-of-folding-clean/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Gordy,” I said. “I need to talk to you." "I don't have time," he said. "Mr. Orcutt and I have to debug some PCs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/gordy-i-said-i-need-to-talk-to-you-i-don-t-have-time-he-said-mr/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“The United States wants all of us to forget the crimes it committed against the indigenous. The United States wants us to forget. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/the-united-states-wants-all-of-us-to-forget-the-crimes-it-committed/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I think that white women are more apt to read laterally. So I think there's some strong identification for women, and their political and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-think-that-white-women-are-more-apt-to-read-laterally-so-i-think/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) [Explore all 546 Sherman Alexie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) ## More Littles quotes > [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/) [Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/) > [I don't understand why we're all connected wirelessly via a little machine that goes in our pocket, to everybody in the world, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-don-t-understand-why-we-re-all-connected-wirelessly-via-a-little/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. I think that actually bothers him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/brad-dourif-would-tell-himself-that-he-was-not-intentionally-trying/) [David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/) > [You smile upon your friend to-day, To-day his ills are over; You hearken to the lover's say, And happy is the lover. 'Tis late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-smile-upon-your-friend-to-day-to-day-his-ills-are-over-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I remember that the bass was turned up slightly more on the mix from last week, and I thought that was good - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ronson/i-remember-that-the-bass-was-turned-up-slightly-more-on-the-mix-from/) [Mark Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ronson/) > [I always step on the plane with my right foot and touch the outside of the plane with my left hand. Sometimes you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-davis/i-always-step-on-the-plane-with-my-right-foot-and-touch-the-outside/) [Hope Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-davis/) > [I was very lucky to get well known much later in life. You need to have flopped quite a few times to get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/i-was-very-lucky-to-get-well-known-much-later-in-life-you-need-to/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/it-s-only-a-little-difficult-to-say-no-you-ve-got-to-believe-that-the/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [All lyrical work must, as a whole, be perfectly intelligible, but in some particulars a little unintelligible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/all-lyrical-work-must-as-a-whole-be-perfectly-intelligible-but-in/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) Browse all 27,615 Littles quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Funny how a little politeness can change people's minds.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sherman Alexie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/funny-how-a-little-politeness-can-change-people-s-minds/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Littles" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/funny-how-a-little-politeness-can-change-people-s-minds/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/sherman-alexie-444_littles_funny-how-a-little-politeness-can-change_1711749.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/sherman-alexie-444_littles_funny-how-a-little-politeness-can-change_1711749.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/529/sherman-alexie-444_littles_funny-how-a-little-politeness-can-change_1711749.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Funny how a little politeness can change people's minds.” — Sherman Alexie", "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": "Sherman Alexie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Funny how a little politeness can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/funny-how-a-little-politeness-can-change-people-s-minds/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/funny-how-a-little-politeness-can-change-people-s-minds/#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 } } ] } ```