To sacrifice the principles of manners, which require compassion and respect, and bat people over the head with their ignorance of etiquette rules they cannot be expected to know is both bad manners and poor etiquette. That social climbers and twits have misused etiquette throughout history should not be used as an argument for doing away with it.
Judith Martin (b. 1938) American author, journalist, etiquette expert [a.k.a. Miss Manners]
Miss Manners Rescues Civilization, ch. 1 “The Case Against Etiquette” (1996)
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social climber
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He may have gone quite far in our society, but no matter how far one goes, one cannot avoid bringing oneself along.
Peter David (b. 1956) American writer
Babylon 5: Legions of Fire III – Out of the Darkness (2000)
