43 Quotes About Formality

Formality establishes a set standard for others to follow. It allows others to know what to expect and prepare for what is coming. An important part of interacting with the world around us, there are many instances of formality. Here is a look at some of the best quotes about formality that will get you to understand this timeless tradition.

“A lot of my writing is not terribly civilized. Sometimes I listen to songs by very smart writers who assume that the world is a civil place with certain formalities that people follow, but I don’t see things that way.”

“Are not the daily devotions conducted by these legal ecclesiastics already degenerating into a scanty attendance, and a tiresome formality?”

“Courtesy should be apparent in all our actions and words and in all aspects of daily life. But be courtesy, I do not mean rigid, cold formality.”

“Documentation is not understanding, process is not discipline, formality is not skill.”

“Foolish, whenever you take the meanness and formality of that thing you do, instead of converting it into the obedient spiracle ofyour character and aims.”

“Formality is sufficiently revenged upon the world for being so unreasonably laughed at; it is destroyed, it is true, but it hath the spiteful satisfaction of seeing everything destroyed with it.”

“Great part of that order which reigns among mankind is not the effect of government. It has its origin in the principles of society and the natural constitution of man.”

“Grilling takes the formality out of entertaining. Everyone wants to get involved.”

“He went out with a variety of women, slept with some of them, hated the whole meaningless process. Drinks, dinners, plays and concerts and gallery openings …”

“I am actually extremely casual in certain environments. But one of the reasons I like living in London, I like the formality of it, as compared to the formality of America – or informality.”

“I believe the death of Bobby Kennedy was in many ways the death of decency in America. I think it was the death of manners and formality, the death of poetry and the death of a dream.”

“I like to be able to wear something that is appropriate for wherever the day takes me: to work, on a hike and then out to dinner. I like to take the formality out of the day’s schedule and be ready for any off-road detour.”

“I should not like to preach to a congregation who all believed as I believe. I would as lief preach to a basket of eggs in their smooth compactness and oval formality.”

“I think that helps because there has been no formality of friendship, the politeness of friendship, so we can just work directly on the work that’s ahead of us.”

“In love affairs, there is no mediator like a merry, simple-hearted child – ever ready to cement divided hearts, to span the unfriendly gulf of custom, to melt the ice of cold reserve, and overthrow the separating walls of dread formality and pride.”

“In statesmanship get formalities right, never mind about the moralities.”

“It was not certain what significance the ceremony held… but the formality was no less sacred for it being unintelligible.”

“Loneliness is a hard thing to handle. I feel it, sometimes. When I do, I want it to end. Sometimes, when you’re near someone, when you touch them on some level that is deeper than the uselessly structured formality of casual civilized interaction, there’s a sense of satisfaction in it.”

“Marriage is like a formality for me.”

“Miracles happen. But prayer is needed! Prayer that is courageous, struggling and persevering, not prayer that is a mere formality.”

“Most people think, when they’re young, that they’re going to the top of their chosen world, and that the climb up is only a formality. Without that faith, I suppose, they might never start.”

“Moving parts in rubbing contact require lubrication to avoid excessive wear. Honorifics and formal politeness provide lubrication where people rub together.”

“No man is in love when he marries. He may have loved before; I have even heard he has sometimes loved after: but at the time never.”

“One of the biggest problems of mathematics is to explain to everyone else what it is all about. The technical trappings of the subject, its symbolism and formality, its baffling terminology, its apparent delight in lengthy calculations: these tend to obscure its real nature.”

“People sometimes think of ‘queen’ as a title that’s shrouded with protocol and formality, and for that reason sometimes people are not easily saying what they want to say.”

“Period films to me are very often alienating to the audience. There’s very often a formality. A staunchy quality to them that comes from the misenscene.”

“Power to the Democrats is an entitlement, elections are a formality, and they should never lose.”

“Ritual is a terribly important, binding cement in a society. If we abandon formality and rituals, we’re actually weakening the relationships that exist between people that bind.”

“The officers do not beat the men; the officers and men receive equal treatment. Soldiers are free to hold meetings and speak out.”

“The reason to preserve wilderness is that we need it. We need wilderness of all kinds, large and small, public and private.”

“The religion is a formality. What matters is you show respect to God and your faith in God.”

“The sort of formality that goes into my artwork I would not expect from everybody in the world.”

“The summit is the mere formality, the ceremonial demonstration of what was agreed to long ago, weeks, months before the summit.”

“The sweetness of life lies in dispensing with formalities.”

“Treat your business relationships like friendships (or potential friendships). Formality puts up walls, and walls don’t foster good business relationships. No one is loyal to a wall… except the one in China.”

“Truly good manners are invisible: they ease the way for others, without drawing attention to themselves.”

“We are all members of the same great family … On social occasions the formality of strictly military occasions should be relaxed, and a spirit of friendliness and goodwill should prevail.”

“Well I wasn’t really attacking the religious beliefs, I was attacking the formality of the rituals of the Catholic church; however, people took it wrongly.”

“We’ve become much more casual and much more relaxed in social interactions, where there was a formality and maybe a kind of respect at that time that doesn’t exist now.”

“When thanksgiving is filled with true meaning and is not just the formality of a polite ‘thank you,’ it is the recognition of dependence.”

“Writing in other voices is almost Japanese in the sense that there’s a certain formality there which allows me to sidestep the embarrassment of directly expressing to complete strangers the most intimate details of my life.”

“You got to set your mind right and the rest will come to you naturally. No restrictions, no hang-ups, no stupid rules, no formalities, no forbidden fruit – just everyone getting and giving as much as he and she can.”

“You’re obliged to pretend respect for people and institutions you think absurd. You live attached in a cowardly fashion to moral and social conventions you despise, condemn, and know lack all foundation.”

Many cultures are filled with traditions and formalities during certain periods of the year or different celebrations. These make up a part of who they are and how they identify with the world around them. Take some time to explore the different traditions and formalities of some of the more intriguing nations from around the world.