--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Alas! it is a fearful thing To feel…" description: "\"Alas! it is a fearful thing To feel another's guilt!\" — Oscar Wilde" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/oscar-wilde-16_alas_alas-it-is-a-fearful-thing-to-feel-anoth_1017397.jpg" --- # Alas! it is a fearful thing To feel another's guilt! ![“Alas! it is a fearful thing To feel another's guilt!” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/oscar-wilde-16_alas_alas-it-is-a-fearful-thing-to-feel-anoth_1017397.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/oscar-wilde-16_alas_alas-it-is-a-fearful-thing-to-feel-anoth_1017397.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/oscar-wilde-16_alas_alas-it-is-a-fearful-thing-to-feel-anoth_1017397.jpg) > “Alas! it is a fearful thing To feel another's guilt!” [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling another's guilt is portrayed as a terrifying, unsettling experience. **In simple terms:** Feeling others' guilt is frightening. Key Takeaway Recognize and manage inherited guilt. Themes guilt empathy psychology Mood melancholic thoughtful Type literary psychological When to use this quote - therapy - family dynamics - workplace culture Key Concepts moral responsibility emotional contagion Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate your guilt from others'? - When is empathy harmful? A Different Perspective Guilt can be misattributed, leading to unfair blame. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fearful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fearful/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) ## Related quotes > [Alas, the fearful unbelief is unbelief in yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/alas-the-fearful-unbelief-is-unbelief-in-yourself/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Death is a fearful thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/death-is-a-fearful-thing/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-chambers/it-is-a-fearful-thing-to-fall-into-the-hands-of-the-living-god/) [Robert W. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-chambers/) > [To me death is not a fearful thing. It's living that's cursed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jones/to-me-death-is-not-a-fearful-thing-it-s-living-that-s-cursed/) [Jim Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jones/) > [The medieval ideas of the "wild wood" was like a cupboard into which they stuffed everything they were afraid of - Wodwose, Green Men,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matthews/the-medieval-ideas-of-the-wild-wood-was-like-a-cupboard-into-which/) [John Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-matthews/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [“And I began to believe that you could exchange your life, send it back for a different model, and I knew that wasn’t really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-lacey/and-i-began-to-believe-that-you-could-exchange-your-life-send-it-back/) [Catherine Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-lacey/) > [“when we do what is known to be wrong, two negative things happened. First, we feel guilt and this guilt eats away confidence. Second,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-j-schwartz/when-we-do-what-is-known-to-be-wrong-two-negative-things-happened/) [David J. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-j-schwartz/) > [When I talk about the C.I.A. stuff, I feel guilt because I left. I really believed in that job, and my colleagues are still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-king/when-i-talk-about-the-c-i-a-stuff-i-feel-guilt-because-i-left-i/) [Tom King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-king/) > [No sane man can be happy, for to him life is real, and he sees what a fearful thing it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/no-sane-man-can-be-happy-for-to-him-life-is-real-and-he-sees-what-a/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Even in a righteous cause force is a fearful thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/even-in-a-righteous-cause-force-is-a-fearful-thing/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [“It's a fearful thing to love what death can touch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-morse/it-s-a-fearful-thing-to-love-what-death-can-touch/) Eleanor Morse > [“Tis a Fearful Thing ‘Tis a fearful thing to love what death can touch. A fearful thing to love, to hope, to dream, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judah-halevi/tis-a-fearful-thing-tis-a-fearful-thing-to-love-what-death-can-touch/) Judah Halevi > [For it is not death or hardship that is a fearful thing, but the fear of death and hardship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/for-it-is-not-death-or-hardship-that-is-a-fearful-thing-but-the-fear/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Numbers are a fearful thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/numbers-are-a-fearful-thing/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) ## More by Oscar Wilde > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-books-that-the-world-calls-immoral-are-the-books-that-show-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/bachelors-should-be-heavily-taxed-it-is-not-fair-that-some-men-should/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Who, being loved, is poor?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/who-being-loved-is-poor/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Basil my dear boy puts everything that is charming in him into his work. The consequence is that he has nothing left for life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/basil-my-dear-boy-puts-everything-that-is-charming-in-him-into-his/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Anybody can be good in the country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/anybody-can-be-good-in-the-country/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-don-t-at-all-like-knowing-what-people-say-of-me-behind-my-back-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Alles Populäre ist falsch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alles-popul-re-ist-falsch/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“If these elements of beauty are real, the whole thing simply appeals to our sense of dramatic effect. Suddenly we find that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-these-elements-of-beauty-are-real-the-whole-thing-simply-appeals/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [To love one's self is the beginning of a life-long romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-love-one-s-self-is-the-beginning-of-a-life-long-romance/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“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/) > [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/moderation-is-a-fatal-thing-enough-is-as-bad-as-a-meal-more-than/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. Philosophies fall away like sand, creeds follow one another, but what is beautiful is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/beauty-is-the-only-thing-that-time-cannot-harm-philosophies-fall-away/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) [Explore all 3,343 Oscar Wilde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More Alas quotes > [“Muchos de los ángeles de Dios no tienen alas...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/muchos-de-los-ngeles-de-dios-no-tienen-alas/) [José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/) > [We are all potentially such sick men. The sanest and best of us are of one clay with lunatics and prison-inmates. And whenever we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/we-are-all-potentially-such-sick-men-the-sanest-and-best-of-us-are-of/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Alas, you don't need monsters for monstrous deeds to be accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/alas-you-don-t-need-monsters-for-monstrous-deeds-to-be-accomplished/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [Time, time - that is our greatest master! Alas, like Ugolino, time devours its own children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hector-berlioz/time-time-that-is-our-greatest-master-alas-like-ugolino-time-devours/) [Hector Berlioz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hector-berlioz/) > [Removing prejudices is, alas! too often removing the boundary of a delightful near prospect in order to let in a shockingly extensive one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-fulke-greville/removing-prejudices-is-alas-too-often-removing-the-boundary-of-a/) [Sir Fulke Greville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-fulke-greville/) > [Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-pharcellus-church/yes-virginia-there-is-a-santa-claus-he-exists-as-certainly-as-love/) [Francis Pharcellus Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-pharcellus-church/) > [Alas, Postumus, the fleeting years slip by, nor will piety give any stay to wrinkles and pressing old age and untamable death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/alas-postumus-the-fleeting-years-slip-by-nor-will-piety-give-any-stay/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Sensible Catholics have for generations been ignoring the views on contraception held by reactionary old men in the Vatican, but alas, since it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/sensible-catholics-have-for-generations-been-ignoring-the-views-on/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [The flesh is sad, alas, and I have read all the books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-phane-mallarm/the-flesh-is-sad-alas-and-i-have-read-all-the-books/) [Stephane Mallarme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-phane-mallarm/) > [Alas! all music jars when the soul's out of tune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/alas-all-music-jars-when-the-soul-s-out-of-tune/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [In spite of the honestest efforts to annihilate my I-ity, or merge it in what the world doubtless considers my better half, I still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-welsh-carlyle/in-spite-of-the-honestest-efforts-to-annihilate-my-i-ity-or-merge-it/) [Jane Welsh Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-welsh-carlyle/) > [The dumpling is indeed of more ancient institution, and of foreign origin; but alas, what were those dumplings? Nothing but a few lentils sodden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-arbuthnot/the-dumpling-is-indeed-of-more-ancient-institution-and-of-foreign/) [John Arbuthnot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-arbuthnot/) > [“World is so beautiful, but alas! There are so many assholes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/world-is-so-beautiful-but-alas-there-are-so-many-assholes/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Ideally a painter (and, generally, an artist) should not become conscious of his insights: without taking the detour through his reflective processes, and incomprehensibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/ideally-a-painter-and-generally-an-artist-should-not-become-conscious/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [Alas! we makeA ladder of our thoughts, where angels step,But sleep ourselves at the foot: our high resolvesLook down upon our slumbering acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-elizabeth-landon/alas-we-makea-ladder-of-our-thoughts-where-angels-step-but-sleep/) [Letitia Elizabeth Landon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-elizabeth-landon/) Browse all 453 Alas quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Alas! it is a fearful thing To feel another's guilt!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Wilde" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alas-it-is-a-fearful-thing-to-feel-another-s-guilt/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alas" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alas-it-is-a-fearful-thing-to-feel-another-s-guilt/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/oscar-wilde-16_alas_alas-it-is-a-fearful-thing-to-feel-anoth_1017397.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/oscar-wilde-16_alas_alas-it-is-a-fearful-thing-to-feel-anoth_1017397.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/006/oscar-wilde-16_alas_alas-it-is-a-fearful-thing-to-feel-anoth_1017397.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Alas! it is a fearful thing To feel another's guilt!” — Oscar Wilde", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Oscar Wilde", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Alas! it is a fearful thing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alas-it-is-a-fearful-thing-to-feel-another-s-guilt/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alas-it-is-a-fearful-thing-to-feel-another-s-guilt/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```