Oscar Wilde was one of the most fascinating and enigmatic writers of the 19th century. Known for his wit, charm, and unique perspectives on life, he left us with many quotes that continue to captivate and inspire people today.
One of the best ways to get to know Oscar Wilde is by reflecting on his insightful quotes. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the 100 most fascinating quotes by Oscar Wilde, delving into his life and work to uncover the wisdom and wit that made him such a beloved figure in literature and beyond
100 Beautiful Oscar Wilde Quotes
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell the truth.
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
Everyone may not be good, but there’s always something good in everyone. Never judge anyone shortly because every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.
A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.
It takes great deal of courage to see the world in all its tainted glory, and still to love it.
Sometimes the poor are praised for being thrifty. But to recommend thrift to the poor is both grotesque and insulting. It is like advising a man who is starting to eat less.
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.
To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
I can resist everything except temptation.
Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.
A good friend will always stab you in the front.
What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.
The truth is rarely pure and never simple.
To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.
I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying.
When the gods wish to punish us they answer our prayers.
A man’s face is his autobiography. A woman’s face is her work of fiction.
The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius.
It’s beauty that captures your attention. Personality which captures your heart.
A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell the truth.
You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes or their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.
The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius.
If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.
Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.
Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.
To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.
Conformity is the last refuge of the unimaginative.
A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.
Live life with no excuses and travel with no regret.
A bore is someone who deprives you of solitude without providing you with company.
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.
It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.
Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship.
Everything in moderation, including moderation.
Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about.
If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well. If it is worth having, it is worth waiting for. If it is worth attaining, it is worth fighting for. If it is worth experiencing, it is worth putting aside time for.
America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.
It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.
The world was my oyster but I used the wrong fork.
All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does, and that is his.
The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.
When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is.
Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.
Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast.
An optimist will tell you the glass is half-full; the pessimist, half-empty; and the engineer will tell you the glass is twice the size it needs to be.
Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.
Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden where the flowers are dead.
Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?
The truth is rarely pure and never simple.
There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.
I am not young enough to know everything.
The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.
There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
Selfishness is not living your life as you wish to live it. Selfishness is wanting others to live their lives as you wish them to.
Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power.
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.
We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.
Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit.
You can never be overdressed or overeducated.
Children begin by loving their parents; after a time they judge them; rarely, if ever, do they forgive them.
I have the simplest of tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.
Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people we personally dislike.
Religion is like a blind man looking in a black room for a black cat that isn’t there, and finding it.
Everything popular is wrong.
Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing.
The answers are all out there, we just need to ask the right questions.
If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they’ll kill you.
Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary.
Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.
I can never travel without my diary, one should always have something sensational to read on the train.
If you cannot write well, you cannot think well; if you cannot think well, others will do your thinking for you.
How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being?
It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.
Men always want to be a woman’s first love. That is their clumsy vanity. Women have a more subtle instinct about these things. What women like is to be a man’s last romance.
Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.
Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life.
A pessimist is somebody who complains about the noise when opportunity knocks.
I don’t want to go to heaven. None of my friends are there.
The only thing to do with good advice is pass it on. It is never any use to oneself.
Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.
No good deed goes unpunished.
You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.
Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.
God grant me the serenity to accept that people are ignorant, the courage to uphold the law when I’m hostile, & the wisdom to realize that murder is illegal.
I think God, in creating man, somewhat overestimated his ability.
I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.
With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.
Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast.
A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.
All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his.
The best way to enjoy your job is to imagine yourself without one.
I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.
Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
The Legacy of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde was a renowned Irish poet, playwright, and novelist who lived in the late 19th century. He was a prominent figure of the Aesthetic movement, emphasizing beauty and art for its own sake. Known for his wit and flamboyant personality, Wilde left a lasting legacy in literature, philosophy, and popular culture.
1. Human condition
One of Wilde’s most significant contributions to literature was his exploration of the human condition through his works of fiction and plays. He is best known for his novel, “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” which explores the nature of beauty, art, and morality. The novel tells the story of a young man obsessed with his beauty and making a Faustian pact, ultimately leading to his downfall. It is a powerful meditation on vanity’s dangers and moral corruption’s consequences.
2. Impact on satire
Wilde’s plays are also notable for their satirical wit and social commentary. His most famous play, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” is a masterpiece of comedic writing that skewers the hypocrisy and superficiality of Victorian society. The play is full of memorable lines and characters, and its enduring popularity speaks to Wilde’s ability to capture human behavior’s absurdities with humor and insight.
3. Impact on popular culture
Wilde’s legacy extends beyond literature to popular culture as well. His witty epigrams and clever turns of phrase continue to be quoted and referenced in contemporary media, from television shows to social media memes. His influence can also be seen in fashion, as his Aesthetic movement promoted individualism, unconventional beauty, and flamboyant style, all of which have become enduring cultural touchstones.
4. Falling into disgrace
Despite his contributions to literature and culture, Wilde’s personal life has complicated his legacy. He was openly gay at a time when homosexuality was illegal in England, and his public trial and imprisonment for “gross indecency” caused him to fall into disgrace and ultimately led to his premature death at the age of 46. However, his advocacy for individualism, unconventional beauty, and the power of art to transcend social norms has continued to inspire generations of artists, writers, and activists.
Wrapping Up
Oscar Wilde’s legacy is one of brilliant writing, social commentary, and wit. He used his talents to explore the human condition and challenge the status quo, and his contributions to literature and culture continue to inspire and influence people today.
Despite the challenges he faced in his personal life, his commitment to individualism, unconventional beauty, and the power of art to transcend social norms has made him a beloved and enduring figure in the world of literature and beyond.
