Quotes from Oscar Wilde

Biography lends to death a new terror.

I suppose in about fortnight we shall be told that he has been seen in San Francisco. It is an odd thing, but everyone who disappears is said to be seen at San Francisco. It must be a delightful city, and possess all the attractions of the next world.

The way of paradoxes is the way of truth. To test Reality we must see it on the tight-rope. When the Verities become acrobats we can judge them.

A true artist takes no notice whatever of the public. The public are to him non-existent

As for being poisoned by a book, there is no such thing as that. Art has no influence upon action. It annihilates the desire to act. It is superbly sterile. The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.

The world is a stage, but the play is badly written.

The only thing that one really knows about human nature is that it changes. Change is the one quality we can predicate of it.

An acquaintance that begins with a compliment is sure to develop into a real friendship. It starts in the right manner.

we are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars

One of the requisites of sanity is to disagree with the majority of the British public.

Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is a man's original virtue.

And the wild regrets and the bloody seats None knew so well as I For he who lives more lives than one More deaths than one, must die.

The one person who has more illusions than the dreamer is the man of action.

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.

The systems that fail are those that rely on the permanency of human nature

Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.

If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life.

Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.

Life, Lady Stutfield, is simply a mauvais quart d'heure made up of exquisite moments

Echan a perder todas las historias de amor intentando que duren para siempre.

LORD GORING: ... All I do know is that life cannot be understood without much charity, cannot be lived without much charity. It is love, and not German philosophy, that is the true explanation of this world, whatever may.

Most personalities have been obliged to be rebels. Half their strength has been wasted in friction.

The reason we all like to think so well of others is that we are all afraid for ourselves. The basis of optimism is sheer terror. We think that we are generous because we credit our neighbour with the possession of those virtues that are likely to be a benefit to us. We praise the banker that we may overdraw our account, and find good qualities in the highwayman in the hope that he may spare our pockets. I mean everything that I have said. I have the greatest contempt for optimism.

Nowadays, people read too many books to appreciate any.