Life & Wisdom Quote by James Howell

Respect isn’t just a reward in Howell’s world; it’s an accelerant. The line is almost mischievously compact: offer a man respect and he will “do it the more” - not merely continue, but intensify. Howell, a 17th-century writer steeped in courtly etiquette, patronage, and the brittle hierarchies of early modern England, is describing a social technology. People like to imagine motivation as private character. Howell is pointing to something more transactional and, in its way, more modern: behavior is shaped by status signals.

The phrasing matters. “Respect a man” reads like instruction, not sentiment. It’s advice for navigating male pride in a culture where honor functioned as currency and public reputation could be as consequential as money. Respect, here, isn’t necessarily admiration earned; it can be strategically granted, a deliberate bestowal of standing. Do that, Howell implies, and you harness vanity, loyalty, and the desire to live up to an image. The “more” carries the sly subtext: the respected man will work harder partly to justify the respect, partly to keep it coming.

There’s an edge to it. Howell isn’t praising virtue so much as observing a feedback loop: esteem creates performance, performance reinforces esteem. It’s flattering to the recipient, useful to the giver, and revealing about power. The quote quietly admits that dignity is a lever - and that men, especially, are often moved by being seen.