Quotes from Oscar Wilde

Art finds her own perfection within, and not outside of, herself. She is not to be judged by any external standard of resemblance.

In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane.

Those who have much are often greedy; those who have little often share.

A man who takes himself too seriously will find that no one else takes him seriously.

How long could you love a woman who didn't love you, Cecil? A woman who didn't love me? Oh, all my life!

You may fancy yourself safe and think yourself strong. But a chance tone of color in a room or a morning sky, a particular perfume that you had once loved and that brings subtle memories with it, a line from a forgotten poem that you had come across again, a cadence from a piece of music that you had ceased to play. I tell you Dorian, that it is on things like these that our lives depend.

You can hardly imagine that I and Lord Bracknell would dream of allowing our only daughter - a girl brought up with the utmost care - to marry into a cloak-room, and form an alliance with a parcel?

I quite agree with Dr. Nordau's assertion that all men of genius are insane, but Dr. Nordau forgets that all sane people are idiots.

There was purification in punishment. Not 'Forgive us our sins,' but 'Smite us for our iniquities' should be the prayer of a man to a most just God.

High hopes were once formed of democracy; but democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.

All sins, except a sin against itself, Love should forgive. All lives, save loveless lives, true Love should pardon.

There are moments, psychologists tell us, when the passion for sin, or what the world calls sin, so dominates a nature, that every fibre of the body, as every cell of the brain, seems to be instinct with fearful impulses. Men and women at such moments lose the freedom of their will. They move to their terrible end as automatons move. Choice is taken from them, and conscience is either killed, or, if it lives at all, lives but to give rebellion its fascination, and disobedience its charm.