--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One's days were too brief to take the…" description: "\"One's days were too brief to take the burden of another's errors on one's shoulders. Each man lived his own life and paid his own price for living it.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/oscar-wilde-16_burden_one-s-days-were-too-brief-to-take-the-bu_1576450.jpg" --- # One's days were too brief to take the burden of another's… ![“One's days were too brief to take the burden of another's errors on one's shoulders. Each man lived his own life and paid his own price for living it.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/oscar-wilde-16_burden_one-s-days-were-too-brief-to-take-the-bu_1576450.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/oscar-wilde-16_burden_one-s-days-were-too-brief-to-take-the-bu_1576450.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/oscar-wilde-16_burden_one-s-days-were-too-brief-to-take-the-bu_1576450.jpg) > “One's days were too brief to take the burden of another's errors on one's shoulders. Each man lived his own life and paid his own price for living it.” [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. People should not bear the mistakes of others; each individual must own their own choices and consequences. **In simple terms:** Don't carry others' errors; own your life. Key Takeaway Accept personal responsibility. Themes individualism responsibility freedom Mood reflective serious Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - personal relationships - workplace - family decisions - legal accountability - financial planning Key Concepts existentialism self-reliance Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate personal blame from systemic influence? - When is it fair to hold others accountable? A Different Perspective It may ignore systemic factors that influence personal outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [“One's days were too brief to take the burden of another's errors on one's shoulders.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/one-s-days-were-too-brief-to-take-the-burden-of-another-s-errors-on/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Each man lived his own life, and paid his own price for living it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/each-man-lived-his-own-life-and-paid-his-own-price-for-living-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Each man lived his own life and paid his own price for living it. The only pity was one had to pay so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/each-man-lived-his-own-life-and-paid-his-own-price-for-living-it-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I give so much of myself on Sunday. I drain all the life out of myself out there. I get paid to play, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/i-give-so-much-of-myself-on-sunday-i-drain-all-the-life-out-of-myself/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [I worked for a menial's hire, Only to learn, dismayed, That any wage I had asked of Life, Life would have paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-belle-rittenhouse/i-worked-for-a-menial-s-hire-only-to-learn-dismayed-that-any-wage-i-2/) Jessie Belle Rittenhouse > [I've had bad days and good days in my life, but I've never had a day when I didn't enjoy that red light going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-king/i-ve-had-bad-days-and-good-days-in-my-life-but-i-ve-never-had-a-day/) [Larry King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-king/) > [I had three jobs in college. The best day of my life was when I paid off my student loans, on my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-seinfeld/i-had-three-jobs-in-college-the-best-day-of-my-life-was-when-i-paid/) [Jessica Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-seinfeld/) > [I went to prison; therefore, I've been rehabilitated, and now I want to get on with my life. I have paid for what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/i-went-to-prison-therefore-i-ve-been-rehabilitated-and-now-i-want-to/) [Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/) > [Most of the investments I did early on in life have paid off well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj-kundra/most-of-the-investments-i-did-early-on-in-life-have-paid-off-well/) [Raj Kundra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj-kundra/) > [The soldier's business is to take life. For that he is paid by the State, eulogized by political charlatans and upheld by public hysteria.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/the-soldier-s-business-is-to-take-life-for-that-he-is-paid-by-the/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [When a life is paid in service of another. That service is selfless. Otherwise all service has some level of fulfillment personally and benefits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dominick/when-a-life-is-paid-in-service-of-another-that-service-is-selfless/) John Dominick > [I hate that man Obama more than any man I’ve ever met, more than any man who ever lived,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-hate-that-man-obama-more-than-any-man-i-ve-ever-met-more-than-any/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [The utility of living consists not in the length of days, but in the use of time; a man may have lived long, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-utility-of-living-consists-not-in-the-length-of-days-but-in-the/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [“A man lived or died according to his decisions in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-heath/a-man-lived-or-died-according-to-his-decisions-in-life/) [Lorraine Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-heath/) > [Ip Man was an extraordinary man who lived during extraordinary times. He was born to a rich family when the country was still a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/ip-man-was-an-extraordinary-man-who-lived-during-extraordinary-times/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) ## 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 Burden quotes > [Everything I do is more memorable and I understand music more than ever now. It's not a burden to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungri/everything-i-do-is-more-memorable-and-i-understand-music-more-than/) [Seungri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungri/) > [I am at a point in my life where everything I have worked for starts to look like a burden, a weight on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-abou-samra/i-am-at-a-point-in-my-life-where-everything-i-have-worked-for-starts/) Simone Abou Samra > [Trump's enduring appeal is a resource to be harnessed by the Republican Party, not a burden to be jettisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-devine/trump-s-enduring-appeal-is-a-resource-to-be-harnessed-by-the/) [Miranda Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-devine/) > [We want to free our citizens from the burden of excessive paper documents in every office. We want paperless transactions. We will set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/we-want-to-free-our-citizens-from-the-burden-of-excessive-paper/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [We cannot go back in time and change the past, but we can repent. The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/we-cannot-go-back-in-time-and-change-the-past-but-we-can-repent-the/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [The world around us is an increasingly hostile and sinful place. Occasionally that splashes onto us, and perhaps, in the case of a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-world-around-us-is-an-increasingly-hostile-and-sinful-place/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [“What a burden it must be to know all the terrible things you've done and support it with arms unfit to carry it all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-weikel/what-a-burden-it-must-be-to-know-all-the-terrible-things-you-ve-done/) [K. Weikel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-weikel/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [Wherever I am, I see the yoke on women in some form or another. On some it sits easy for they are but beasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-may-alcott/wherever-i-am-i-see-the-yoke-on-women-in-some-form-or-another-on-some/) [Abby May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-may-alcott/) > [It's a burden trying to keep a secret. It's hard. It probably takes more out of you trying to hold it and keep it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magic-johnson/it-s-a-burden-trying-to-keep-a-secret-it-s-hard-it-probably-takes/) [Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/) > [I've always liked artists like Chris Burden, who would take performances, put them in galleries, and then do things that were on the edge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blaine/i-ve-always-liked-artists-like-chris-burden-who-would-take/) [David Blaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blaine/) > [Our office...subjects us to great burdens and labors, dangers and temptations, with little reward or gratitude from the world. But Christ himself will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/our-office-subjects-us-to-great-burdens-and-labors-dangers-and/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [The debt immense of endless gratitude, So burthensome, still paying, still to owe; Forgetful what from him I still receivd, And understood not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/the-debt-immense-of-endless-gratitude-so-burthensome-still-paying/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) [Browse all 2,567 Burden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One's days were too brief to take the burden of another's errors on one's shoulders. Each man lived his own life and paid his own price for living it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Wilde" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/one-s-days-were-too-brief-to-take-the-burden-of-another-s-errors-on-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Burden" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/one-s-days-were-too-brief-to-take-the-burden-of-another-s-errors-on-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/oscar-wilde-16_burden_one-s-days-were-too-brief-to-take-the-bu_1576450.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/oscar-wilde-16_burden_one-s-days-were-too-brief-to-take-the-bu_1576450.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcb/oscar-wilde-16_burden_one-s-days-were-too-brief-to-take-the-bu_1576450.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One's days were too brief to take the burden of another's errors on one's shoulders. Each man lived his own…” — 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": "One's days were too brief to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/one-s-days-were-too-brief-to-take-the-burden-of-another-s-errors-on-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/one-s-days-were-too-brief-to-take-the-burden-of-another-s-errors-on-2/#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 } } ] } ```