Bread Quote by Oscar Wilde
“You shut out from your society the gentle and the good. You laugh at the simple and the pure. living, as you all do, on other and by them, you need at self-sacrifice, and if you throw bread to the poor, it is merely to keep them quiet for a season.”
About This Quote
Source Play: An Ideal Husband, Oscar Wilde, 1895
Society often rejects kindness and purity, preferring self‑interest; charity becomes a tool for control rather than genuine compassion.
In simple terms: Society values self‑interest over true kindness.
Key Takeaway
Question motives behind giving.
Themes
society
morality
self‑interest
charity
hypocrisy
Mood
critical
reflective
ironic
Type
theatrical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- politics
- community service
- personal relationships
- public policy
- philanthropy
Key Concepts
altruism
power
social critique
ethical paradox
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we give?
- How can we ensure genuine compassion?
A Different Perspective
Charitable acts can be manipulative.
