Admiration Quote by Oscar Wilde
““We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely. All art is quite useless.””
About This Quote
Source Play: Lady Windermere’s Fan, 1892
The quote suggests that creation is justified when useful, but admiration for uselessness makes it excusable; art, despite being useless, holds value.
In simple terms: Art can be useless yet valuable; usefulness justifies creation.
Value creation over admiration.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- creative projects
- design work
- personal expression
- cultural critique
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Is usefulness the only justification for creation?
- Can useless art still serve a purpose?
Uselessness may be subjective; usefulness is not the sole measure of worth.