The etiquette of intimacy is very different from the etiquette of formality, but manners are not just something to show off to the outside world. If you offend the head waiter, you can always go to another restaurant. If you offend the person you live with, it’s very cumbersome to switch to a different family.

Judith Martin (b. 1938) American author, journalist, etiquette expert [a.k.a. Miss Manners]

Essay (1996-03/04), Modern Maturity magazine