Politeness | AdventAI

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 15, 1863

Politeness.

ONE of the English infidels was so struck with the politeness and good feeling manifested in St. Paul's writings, that he affirmed that if St. Paul had said that he himself had ever performed a miracle, he would believe it, because he deemed St. Paul too much of a gentleman to tell an untruth. Whatever we may think of this remark, we cannot but be struck with the power which politeness had over the infidel. And as this infidel is not an exception, it may be well to show some of the advantages of being polite.

1. We conform to the Scriptures. If St. Paul taught politeness by his example, so did he by his writings. He tells us, "In honor we must prefer one another." Here is the great secret of politeness, viz. : forgetfulness of self. In another place he says, "Be courteous," in other words, be polite.

2. We make friends. Nothing so wins upon strangers as true politeness. A little attention shown in a stage, or in the cars, or at a public table, costs us very little. But what an effect it has upon the persons to whom the attention is shown. The pleased look, the grateful smile, show us we have gained a friend.

3. We increase our usefulness. One reason why ministers and good Christian people have no more influence, is on account of their sour face and forbidding countenance. They look as if they said, Keep away from me. But if they allow the vulgar to approach within reach of their majestic presence, there is a pompous manner or way they have, which prevents the hearts of others going out to them, and thus influence over such people is lost.

4. It gives success. Let any man who has goods to sell, or office to attain, be kind and polite, no sham—like that put on by the politicians—and his goods are sold, and his office reached, ten times sooner than the man who looks mad, and cuts you up as he cuts off his calicoes and clothes.

Politeness, of all things earthly, costs the least. But its power, it is not saying too much, is tremendous. The polite man, other things being anything like equal, will accomplish good in the world, over the rest of the world without this accomplishment.