1. They respect the individual and are therefore always indulgent, gentle, polite and compliant.
2. Their compassion extends beyond beggars and cats. They are hurt even by things the naked eye can't see.
3. They respect the property of others and therefore pay their debts.
4. They are candid and fear lies like the plague. They do not lie even about the most trivial matters. A lie insults the listener and debases him in the liar's eyes. They don't put on airs, they behave in the street as they do at home, and they do not try to dazzle their inferiors. They know how to keep their mouths shut and they do not force uninvited confidences on people. Out of respect for the ears of others they are more often silent than not.
5. They do not belittle themselves merely to arouse sympathy. They do not play on people's heartstrings to get them to sigh and fuss over them.
6. They are not preoccupied with vain things.
7. If they have talent, they respect it. They sacrifice comfort, women, wine and vanity to it. They are proud of their talent.... What is more, they are fastidious.
8. They cultivate their aesthetic sensibilities.
And so on. That's how civilized people act.... You must work at it constantly, day and night. You must never stop reading, studying in depth, exercising your will. Every hour is precious.
Source:
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2013/07/every-hour-is-precious.html
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