--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know he likes me. Of course I flatter…" description: "\"“I know he likes me. Of course I flatter him dreadfully. I find a strange pleasure in saying things to him that I know I shall be sorry for having said..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/091/oscar-wilde-16_quote_i-know-he-likes-me-of-course-i-flatter-h_224557.jpg" --- # I know he likes me. Of course I flatter him dreadfully. I… ![“I know he likes me. Of course I flatter him dreadfully. I find a strange pleasure in saying things to him that I know I shall be sorry for having said...Then I feel, Harry, that I have given away my whole soul to someone who treats it as if it were a flower to put in his coat, a bit of decoration…” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/091/oscar-wilde-16_quote_i-know-he-likes-me-of-course-i-flatter-h_224557.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/091/oscar-wilde-16_quote_i-know-he-likes-me-of-course-i-flatter-h_224557.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/091/oscar-wilde-16_quote_i-know-he-likes-me-of-course-i-flatter-h_224557.jpg) > ““I know he likes me. Of course I flatter him dreadfully. I find a strange pleasure in saying things to him that I know I shall be sorry for having said...Then I feel, Harry, that I have given away my whole soul to someone who treats it as if it were a flower to put in his coat, a bit of decoration to charm his vanity, an ornament for a summer's day.”” [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. A speaker confesses that flattery is a hollow exchange, feeling their soul given away for superficial admiration. **In simple terms:** Flattery feels empty and draining. Key Takeaway Beware of relationships built on shallow praise. Themes flattery self‑worth relationships authenticity Mood melancholic introspective Type literary emotional When to use this quote - friendships - romantic pursuits - professional networking Key Concepts psychology social dynamics self‑esteem Questions to Reflect On - Why do we seek validation from others? - How can we protect our sense of self? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Then I feel, Harry, that I have given away my whole soul to someone who treats it as if it were a flower to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/then-i-feel-harry-that-i-have-given-away-my-whole-soul-to-someone-who/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Then I feel, Harry, that I have given away my whole soul to some one who treats it as if it were a flower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/then-i-feel-harry-that-i-have-given-away-my-whole-soul-to-some-one/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Now and then, however, he is horribly thoughtless, and seems to take a real delight in giving me pain. Then I feel, Harry, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/now-and-then-however-he-is-horribly-thoughtless-and-seems-to-take-a/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Everyone is down on pain, because they forget something important about it: Pain is for the living. Only the dead don't feel it. (Harry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/everyone-is-down-on-pain-because-they-forget-something-important-2/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [“I am in love with you and I am not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-am-in-love-with-you-and-i-am-not-in-the-business-of-denying-myself/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Mme. de Gallardon, who could never stop herself from sacrificing her greatest social ambitions and highest hopes of someday dazzling the world to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/mme-de-gallardon-who-could-never-stop-herself-from-sacrificing-her/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-m-not-in-the-business-of-denying-myself-the-simple-pleasure-of/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-m-in-love-with-you-and-i-m-not-in-the-business-of-denying-myself/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“And at night, leaning against the frame of her window, Kate said the word aloud to herself for the pure pleasure of saying it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zibby-oneal/and-at-night-leaning-against-the-frame-of-her-window-kate-said-the/) Zibby Oneal > [Nothing is more silly than the pleasure some people take in "speaking their minds." A man of this make will say a rude thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-steele/nothing-is-more-silly-than-the-pleasure-some-people-take-in-speaking/) [Richard Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-steele/) > [“Yes Harry I believe that is true. I cannot help telling you things. You have a curious influence over me. If I ever did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/yes-harry-i-believe-that-is-true-i-cannot-help-telling-you-things-you/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“You will always be loved, and you will always be in love with love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/you-will-always-be-loved-and-you-will-always-be-in-love-with-love/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Marriage is hardly a thing that one can do now and then, Harry. Except in America, rejoined Lord Henry, languidly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/marriage-is-hardly-a-thing-that-one-can-do-now-and-then-harry-except/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“And when I'm with you," she said, "I feel as if I were stuffed with—oh, with stars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-von-arnim/and-when-i-m-with-you-she-said-i-feel-as-if-i-were-stuffed-with-oh/) [Elizabeth von Arnim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-von-arnim/) > [“You will never disappear," I said. "Even if it may feel like you have at some point. We're going to remain a part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinaw-mengestu/you-will-never-disappear-i-said-even-if-it-may-feel-like-you-have-at/) [Dinaw Mengestu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinaw-mengestu/) ## 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 Harry quotes > [Hats off to starting a franchise younger than we all did in 'Twilight' and keeping your cool. 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Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) Browse all 1,108 Harry quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I know he likes me. Of course I flatter him dreadfully. 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