Barbarism Quote by Oscar Wilde
““He who would be free,’ says a fine thinker, ‘must not conform.’ And authority, by bribing people to conform, produces a very gross kind of over-fed barbarism amongst us.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Soul of Man under Socialism", 1891, published in The Nineteenth Century
Freedom requires resisting conformity; authority that forces conformity creates a bloated, oppressive barbarism
In simple terms: True liberty means not following the crowd; forced conformity breeds oppression
Key Takeaway
Resist pressure to conform and question authority
Themes
freedom
conformity
authority
Mood
critical
provocative
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- political activism
- education
- personal decisionmaking
Key Concepts
political philosophy
social critique
Questions to Reflect On
- What pressures make you conform?
- How can we balance individuality with social harmony?
A Different Perspective
The view may overlook benefits of shared norms and cooperation
![“[Much] as war attracts me and fascinates my mind with its tremendous situations, I feel more deeply every year . . . what vile and wicked folly and barbarism it all is.” quote by Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e15/winston-churchill-95_barbarism_much-as-war-attracts-me-and-fascinates-m_68452.jpg)
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
