--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Oscar Wilde turned the world upside down…" description: "\"Oscar Wilde turned the world upside down and was able to laugh at it, and hopefully by the time I'm 120 and worn out, that's what I will achieve. I lov..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/john-lydon-1234_able_oscar-wilde-turned-the-world-upside-down_3178278.jpg" --- # Oscar Wilde turned the world upside down and was able to… ![“Oscar Wilde turned the world upside down and was able to laugh at it, and hopefully by the time I'm 120 and worn out, that's what I will achieve. I love being alive so much.” quote by John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/john-lydon-1234_able_oscar-wilde-turned-the-world-upside-down_3178278.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/john-lydon-1234_able_oscar-wilde-turned-the-world-upside-down_3178278.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/john-lydon-1234_able_oscar-wilde-turned-the-world-upside-down_3178278.jpg) > “Oscar Wilde turned the world upside down and was able to laugh at it, and hopefully by the time I'm 120 and worn out, that's what I will achieve. I love being alive so much.” [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker aspires to maintain a youthful, joyful outlook into old age, finding humor and love for life as ultimate achievements. **In simple terms:** He wants to stay alive, laughing, and loving life even at 120. Key Takeaway Cultivate joy and humor throughout life. Themes longevity joy humor optimism self‑acceptance Mood hopeful playful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily gratitude practice - humor writing - senior community events - health and wellness programs - intergenerational mentorship Key Concepts Existentialism positive aging celebration of life personal resilience cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - How can humor help cope with aging? - What daily habits sustain a love for life? A Different Perspective Aging may bring physical and mental challenges that test optimism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Able Laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able-laugh/) [Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Down and](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down-and/) [Hopefully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopefully/) [Laugh Hopefully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh-hopefully-1757204/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [Oscar wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oscar-wilde/) [Oscars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oscars/) [Upside down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upside-down/) [Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wilde/) [Wilde Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wilde-turned-906221/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Worn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worn/) [Worn out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worn-out/) ## Related quotes > [“I do not deny that he was eccentric; the mania he had for keeping that cat and teasing her until she flew at his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-chambers/i-do-not-deny-that-he-was-eccentric-the-mania-he-had-for-keeping-that/) [Robert W. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-chambers/) > [“Oscar Wilde wrote, “In this world there are only two tragedies. One is getting what one wants, and the other is not getting it.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/oscar-wilde-wrote-in-this-world-there-are-only-two-tragedies-one-is/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [A refusal of nature as a model is a tradition that goes right back to Oscar Wilde.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-haynes/a-refusal-of-nature-as-a-model-is-a-tradition-that-goes-right-back-to/) [Todd Haynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-haynes/) > [The Chinese general Sun Tzu said that all war was based on deception. Oscar Wilde said the same thing of romance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-tempest/the-chinese-general-sun-tzu-said-that-all-war-was-based-on-deception/) [Marco Tempest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-tempest/) > [“(Oscar) Wilde is surely one of the most erotic writers who ever lived.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/oscar-wilde-is-surely-one-of-the-most-erotic-writers-who-ever-lived/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [Oscar Wilde once said that to live is the rarest thing in the world, because most people just exist, and that's all. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/oscar-wilde-once-said-that-to-live-is-the-rarest-thing-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think Oscar Wilde wrote a poem about a robin who loved a white rose. He loved it so much that he pierced his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pickford/i-think-oscar-wilde-wrote-a-poem-about-a-robin-who-loved-a-white-rose/) [Mary Pickford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pickford/) > [Oscar Wilde said that sunsets were not valued because we could not pay for sunsets. But Oscar Wilde was wrong; we can pay for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/oscar-wilde-said-that-sunsets-were-not-valued-because-we-could-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Oscar Wilde said that the gods punish us in two ways: first, they don't give us what we want, then, they do. He forgot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-brass/oscar-wilde-said-that-the-gods-punish-us-in-two-ways-first-they-don-t/) [Perry Brass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-brass/) > [“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/a-dreamer-is-one-who-can-only-find-his-way-by-moonlight-and-his/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [If every witty thing that's said was true, Oscar Wilde, the world would worship You!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-r-burch/if-every-witty-thing-that-s-said-was-true-oscar-wilde-the-world-would/) [Michael R. Burch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-r-burch/) > [I'm sure I've been influenced by every fine writer I've ever read, from Dickens and Austen to Auden and Jane Hirshfield. And also, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/i-m-sure-i-ve-been-influenced-by-every-fine-writer-i-ve-ever-read/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [Oscar Wilde: 'Do you mind if I smoke?' Sarah Bernhardt: 'I don't care if you burn.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bernhardt/oscar-wilde-do-you-mind-if-i-smoke-sarah-bernhardt-i-don-t-care-if/) [Sarah Bernhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bernhardt/) > [“The truth is rarely pure and never simple. -Oscar Wilde”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vi-keeland/the-truth-is-rarely-pure-and-never-simple-oscar-wilde/) [Vi Keeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vi-keeland/) > [“Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More by John Lydon > [Music is escapism from the grim realities of life. But then as soon as you escape into the music, from my point of view,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/music-is-escapism-from-the-grim-realities-of-life-but-then-as-soon-as/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I'm not one for like soul-searching, sour fizzy moments. I come from the school of hard knocks, "f\*\*king get on with it", that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-m-not-one-for-like-soul-searching-sour-fizzy-moments-i-come-from/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [All the things that you would have thought would have made me a professional A1 criminal... wrong. I decided that was too lazy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/all-the-things-that-you-would-have-thought-would-have-made-me-a/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Stroll into work at 10. Lunch from 12 till three. Leave work at five. That's living!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/stroll-into-work-at-10-lunch-from-12-till-three-leave-work-at-five/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Live music is healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/live-music-is-healthy/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I never wore a studded leather jacket, y'know. Ne-va! 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And you couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/a-record-company-used-to-be-a-very-good-thing-but-they-ended-up-soul/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Destroy everything. That's all well and fine, but you got to offer something in it's place. Since I always have a point and purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/destroy-everything-that-s-all-well-and-fine-but-you-got-to-offer/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [For me people are people, without meaning to sound corny, it's a plain natural fact, music is a universal language and I've always known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/for-me-people-are-people-without-meaning-to-sound-corny-it-s-a-plain/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I'm not great at dealing with death, I have to say. I find death very hard: my mum, my dad, Sid Vicious. 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If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. 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I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. 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