social hierarchy quotes

In America everybody is of the opinion that he has no social superiors, since all men are equal, but he does not admit that he has no social inferiors, for, from the time of Jefferson onward, the doctrine that all men are equal applies only upwards, not downwards.

In every society some men are born to rule, and some to advise.

There is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents.

The higher a man stands, the more the word vulgar becomes unintelligible to him.

It is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative rank if they were divested of their clothes.

There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his.

I don’t know if high society is different in other cities, but in Hollywood, important people can’t stand to be invited someplace that isn’t full of other important people. They don’t mind a few unfamous people being present because they make good listeners.

The biggest crime in England is to rise above your station. It’s fine to be a pop star. ‚Oh, it’s great, lots of fun, aren’t they sweet, these pop stars! But to think you have anything to say about how the world should work? What arrogance!‘

Every man needs slaves like he needs clean air. To rule is to breathe, is it not? And even the most disenfranchised get to breathe. The lowest on the social scale have their spouses or their children.