Oscar Wilde Quotes
-
Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion. It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself.
-
When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving one's self, and one always ends by deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance.
-
Life is not governed by will or intention. Life is a question of nerves, and fibres, and slowly built-up cells in which thought hides itself and passion has its dreams.
-
Those who have much are often greedy; those who have little often share.
-
Nothing should be out of the reach of hope. Life is a hope.
-
The function of the artist is to invent, not to chronicle.
-
The things people say of a man do not alter a man. He is what he is. Public opinion is of no value whatsoever.
-
Do you really think it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there are terrible temptations which it requires strength, strength and courage to yield to.
-
England has done one thing; it has invented and established Public Opinion, which is an attempt to organize the ignorance of the community, and to elevate it to the dignity of physical force.
-
'Know thyself' was written over the portal of the antique world. Over the portal of the new world, 'Be thyself' shall be written.
-
A critic should be taught to criticise a work of art without making any reference to the personality of the author.
-
Conversation should touch everything, but should concentrate itself on nothing.
-
What a pity that in life we only get our lessons when they are of no use to us.
-
It is an odd thing, but every one 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.
-
They get up early, because they have so much to do, and go to bed early, because they have so little to think about.
-
For, try as we may, we cannot get behind the appearence of things to reality. And the terrible reason may be that there is no reality in the things apart from their appearences.
-
Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives.
-
Women have a much better time than men in this world; there are far more things forbidden to them.
-
And if it feels good... Feel it!
-
He had that curious love of green, which in individuals is always the sign of a subtle artistic temperament, and in nations is said to denote a laxity, if not a decadence of morals.
-
The only thing that can console one for being poor is extravagance. The only thing that can console one for being rich is economy.
-
Is she such a mystery? She is more than a mystery - she is a mood. Moods don't last. It is their chief charm.
-
One can survive everything, nowadays, except death, and live down everything except a good reputation.
-
I see that any materialism in life coarsens the soul, and that the hunger of the body and the appetites of the flesh desecrate always, and often destroy.