The unfortunate emphasis on networking – which ought to mean only ingratiating oneself with useful people, not trying to use them on the spot – has meant that no one has time off to have fun
The art of politely circumventing (or “cutting”) objectionable people in social situations requires nothing more than minimal acknowledgment of their presence
Never yet has someone humiliated by a stranger conceded being in the wrong and begun a life of reform
while Miss Manners does not condone reneging after accepting invitations, the change of date gives you a fresh chance
One of our charms as Americans is our discomfort with being waited upon
“Thank you, as always, for the side of beef from your local farm. We are still vegetarians, but appreciate your thinking of us.”
there is nothing quite so satisfying as disarming another person’s rudeness by being relentlessly polite
She does not go so far as to think social kissing disgusting and a deep violation, but she does think it silly and undignified
But not before she had said pleasantly, “You do realize that you left us starving during quarantine,” to see if that prompted enough remorse to bring on a real apology
There are three social classes in America: upper middle class, middle class and lower middle class