In 1882 Oscar Wilde wrote an introduction to a collection of verse and while discussing principles of aesthetics he broached the topic of “one’s real life”. Here are additional selected citations in chronological order. Oscar Wilde did write several remarks about identity and appearance that were thematically related to this quotation, but the perspective was different. The statement was enclosed in quotation marks signaling that it was already in circulation also, no attribution was specified: 4 The words were appended to the end of a message posted to a newsgroup used primarily by residents of the Netherlands. The first strong match located by QI was disseminated via the Usenet discussion system in December 1999. Many thanks to adept researcher Bodhipaksa who told QI about this citation. It may have facilitated the later construction of the quotation. The “Day of a Stranger” essay was reprinted multiple times in anthologies, journals, and collections. Interestingly, Merton cautioned against self-consciously trying to be oneself. Merton humorously stated that there was “very little chance of my being anybody else”, whereas the quotation under examination offered a different comical rationale: “everyone else is already taken”, but the crux was similar. Rather it seems to me that when one is too intent on “being himself” he runs the risk of impersonating a shadow. In an age where there is much talk about “being yourself” I reserve to myself the right to forget about being myself, since in any case there is very little chance of my being anybody else. The influential spiritual thinker and mystic Thomas Merton published an essay titled “Day of a Stranger” which referred to “being yourself”: 2 3 The earliest compelling thematic match known to QI appeared in the literary journal “The Hudson Review” in 1967. It is not listed in “The Wit & Wisdom of Oscar Wilde”, an extensive collection compiled by quotation expert Ralph Keyes. Quote Investigator: There is no substantive evidence that Oscar Wilde made this remark. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.Oscar Wilde? Thomas Merton? Gilbert Perreira? Menards? America Ferrera? Apocryphal? Anonymous?ĭear Quote Investigator: I have spent hours trying to determine whether Oscar Wilde wrote the following as commonly claimed:īe yourself. Books are well written, or badly written. There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only Beauty. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. “Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.”ĪLSO READ | Here Are Top Celebrity Cookbooks Every Fitness Enthusiast Must Check Out “Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.” None of my friends are there.”ĪLSO READ | Get Transported To Malaysia With These Books
“Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood.” “A good friend will always stab you in the front.” “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”ĪLSO READ | An Oscar Wilde-theme Pub Gives New York Its Longest Bar “Always forgive your enemies nothing annoys them so much.” “Be yourself everyone else is already taken.” The writer is known for his sarcasm and wit as he used satire as one of the tools to express himself.ĪLSO READ | Oscar Wilde's Stolen Ring Found By Dutch 'art Detective' Here are some of the best sarcastic and witty Oscar Wilde quotes: Wilde was openly homosexual during the times when homosexuality was illegal and looked down upon. He is known best for his play The Importance of Being Earnest and his book The Picture of Dorian Gray. The writer has left an impact when it comes to his plays and his short stories. Oscar Wilde is one of the most well-known names when it comes to British modern literature.