Louise Jackson
Having class and grace isn’t about how much money you have, or what clothes you wear.
It’s about how you hold yourself. It’s in the way you treat yourself and others.
So what are the secret ingredients for oozing these elegant characteristics?
This article will share 14 key personality signs you have class and grace in abundance!
1. You’re dignified
Perhaps the first thing that springs to mind when we envisage someone with class and grace is their dignity.
Dignity is the quality of being worthy of honor or respect. You believe that everybody on this planet is of equal value, and you behave accordingly.
The classiest people don’t act as if they have a higher status than others. They treat everyone they meet in the same way.
2. You’re humble
The opposite of class is perhaps flash.
These people want to lavishly display whatever they have — whether it is their possessions or certain attributes they are most proud of.
But those with class and grace are modest enough to leave their ego at the door. They do not over-inflate their own importance.
3. You have good manners
You know what they say, good manners cost nothing. But despite being completely free they are a sign of true inner wealth of character.
Good manners are the way we show people we care.
These often unsung heroes of society are actually vitally important according to Pier Forni who has written books about manners. As he told the Washington Post:
“The rules of good manners are the traffic lights of human interaction. They make it so that we don’t crash into one another in everyday behavior.”
That’s why good manners are essential to class and grace.
4. You refrain from malicious gossip
Classy and graceful people don’t get caught up in other people’s business.
Gossip at its worst can be malicious, and bad for your own mental health, as well as the person you are talking about.
The classiest of people stay silent when others engage in a bit of hearsay and tittle-tattle.
If you prefer to avoid drama and refrain from gossip, it’s a sign of a classy and graceful personality.
5. You have self-control
Even when tempers are frayed, you don’t make a scene. You know when, and how, to bite your tongue.
You have mastered the art of turning the other cheek in the face of someone else’s emotional outbursts. This is a testament to your strength, rather than weakness.
Rather than be a slave to your emotions, you know how to stay in control.
Perhaps it’s a meditation or breathwork practice that is the secret to your poise. Or perhaps you simply have a zen demeanor, but either way, you manage to keep your cool and stay calm.
6. You’re compassionate
Your class can be far more richly seen through your kindness, than through your bank balance.
No matter how much money someone has, it’s hard to be classy without compassion.
Perhaps an iconic example would be the late Princess Diana. Despite being a member of the British royal family, she saw her greatest role within society as a more compassionate one
In fact, she is quoted as once saying:
“Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be, doing what I can.”
7. You have a quiet inner confidence
Truly classy and graceful people don’t need to scream and shout about it.
They aren’t attention-seeking. Yet classy and graceful people can manage to walk into a room and command attention without even trying.
That’s because they have an inner confidence that shines brightly from deep inside.
Just like the people with the greatest levels of self-love, they don’t need the limelight to be noticed. Their strong foundations of inner confidence already make them magnetic.
8. You’re always learning
An artist friend of mine once told me that to him, beauty is grace in motion.
Rather than being something static, it has a live element to it which accounts for why it is so special.
I think the same can be said for class and grace. It is always evolving. And for this to occur, classy and graceful people are always keen to learn more.
They have a curiosity for life, they are well-read and knowledgeable. Rather than being ignorant, they make an effort to understand the world around them.
9. You’re tactful
Classy and graceful people are often skilled diplomats. And it’s no coincidence.
That’s because they usually have great tact in navigating sticky situations. They will choose their words carefully and be mindful of how things sound.
They realize that good communication is the key to creating harmonious, healthy, and happy relationships with the people around them.
10. You know how to listen
Endlessly talking about yourself is out, and intently listening is very much in.
Perhaps one of the reasons that people with class and grace are so appealing is that they know how to make people feel special — simply by listening to them.
In fact, being a good listener is so appealing that research found it is an attractive trait that we look for in a mate.
11. You present yourself well
Presenting yourself well is not just about the clothes you choose to wear, how you style your hair or a spritz of your favorite scent.
It goes beyond the surface of how you look, and deeper to the heart of how you act and carry yourself.
That includes all those subtle and silent body language cues that end up speaking volumes.
Classy people with grace hold their heads up high, push their shoulders back, smile freely, and look someone right in the eye.
In short, they present themselves with confident and comfortable body language that gives the best impression.
12. You have clear boundaries
Just like so many admirable traits that people cultivate, the secret to having class and grace lies in the firm foundations of strong boundaries.
Knowing what is and what is not acceptable allows you to communicate clearly — say what you mean and mean what you say!
This gives off an effortlessly in-control air that lets others know that you aren’t one to be toyed with, without ever needing to lose your cool.
13. You have principles and live by your own values
If there is one thing that classy and graceful people are most certainly not, and that is hopeless people pleasers.
They do not desperately try to get others to agree with them or need that affirmation to feel self-assured.
Their grace often springs from knowing how to dance to the beat of their own drum.
They aren’t prepared to compromise their beliefs and values, instead, they stay true to what they feel is right.
