Character Quotes by Oscar Wilde

Disobedience is man's original virtue.

— Oscar Wilde

To define is to limit.

— Oscar Wilde

Scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.

— Oscar Wilde

Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.

— Oscar Wilde

His morality is all sympathy, just what morality should be

— Oscar Wilde

The morality of art consists in the perfect use of an imperfect medium.

— Oscar Wilde

“is not good for one's morals to see bad acting. Besides,”

— Oscar Wilde

“Moral grounds are always the last refuge of people who have no sense of beauty.”

— Oscar Wilde

Every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character.

— Oscar Wilde

“It feels instinctively that manners are of more importance than morals,”

— Oscar Wilde

It is not good for one's morals to see bad acting

— Oscar Wilde

“Modern morality consists in accepting the standard of one's age.”

— Oscar Wilde

Each class preaches the importance of those virtues it need not exercise. The rich harp on the value of thrift, the idle…

— Oscar Wilde

“those renunciations that men have unwisely called virtue, as much as those natural rebellions that wise men still call sin.”

— Oscar Wilde

Intellectual generalities are always interesting, but generalities in morals mean absolutely nothing.

— Oscar Wilde

Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals.

— Oscar Wilde

“Experience was of no ethical value. It was merely the name men gave to their mistakes.”

— Oscar Wilde

The only form of fiction in which real characters do not seem out of place is history. In novels they are detestable.

— Oscar Wilde

“Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike. You dislike me. I am quite aware of that.…

— Oscar Wilde

My writing has gone to bits - like my character. I am simply a self-conscious nerve in pain.

— Oscar Wilde

It is a very poor consolation to be told that the man who has given one a bad dinner, or poor wine,…

— Oscar Wilde

“The basis of optimism is sheer terror. We think that we are generous because we credit our neighbour with the possession of…

— Oscar Wilde

“To influence a person is to give him one's own soul. He does not think his natural thoughts, or burn with his…

— Oscar Wilde

To exercise power costs effort and demands courage. That is why so many fail to assert rights to which they are perfectly…

— Oscar Wilde

I never came across anyone in whom the moral sense was dominant who was not heartless, cruel, vindictive, log-stupid, and entirely lacking…

— Oscar Wilde

I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their intellects. A man…

— Oscar Wilde

We think that we are generous because we credit our neighbor with those virtues that are likely to benefit ourselves. We praise…

— Oscar Wilde

I forgot that every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character, and that therefore what one has done in…

— Oscar Wilde

“Thought and language are to the artist instruments of an art. Vice and virtue are the artist’s materials for an art. From…

— Oscar Wilde

“There is no such thing as a good influence, Mr. Gray. All influence is immoral,—immoral from the scientific point of view.’ ‘Why?’…

— Oscar Wilde

“Society--civilized society, at least--is never very ready to believe anything to the detriment of those who are both rich and fascinating. It…

— Oscar Wilde

Experience was of no ethical value. It was merely the name men gave to their mistakes. Moralists had, as a rule, regarded…

— Oscar Wilde

You silly Arthur! If you knew anything about...anything, which you don't, you would know that I adore you. Everyone in London knows…

— Oscar Wilde

What is termed Sin is an essential element of progress. Without it the world would stagnate, or grow old, or become colorless.…

— Oscar Wilde

“For the various spiritual forms of the imagination have a natural affinity with certain sensuous forms of art - and to discern…

— Oscar Wilde

“There is no such thing as a good influence, Mr. Gray. All influence is immoral - immoral from the scientific point of…

— Oscar Wilde

It is only the superficial qualities that last. Man's deeper nature is soon found out.

— Oscar Wilde

Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike.

— Oscar Wilde

Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace.

— Oscar Wilde

Do not forget that small daily actions do or undo character.

— Oscar Wilde