--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People say sometimes that Beauty is…" description: "\"People say sometimes that Beauty is superficial. That may be so. But at least it is not so superficial as Thought is. To me, Beauty is the wonder of wo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/oscar-wilde-16_appearance_people-say-sometimes-that-beauty-is-supe_1815049.jpg" --- # People say sometimes that Beauty is superficial. That may… ![“People say sometimes that Beauty is superficial. That may be so. But at least it is not so superficial as Thought is. To me, Beauty is the wonder of wonders. It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/oscar-wilde-16_appearance_people-say-sometimes-that-beauty-is-supe_1815049.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/oscar-wilde-16_appearance_people-say-sometimes-that-beauty-is-supe_1815049.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/oscar-wilde-16_appearance_people-say-sometimes-that-beauty-is-supe_1815049.jpg) > “People say sometimes that Beauty is superficial. That may be so. But at least it is not so superficial as Thought is. To me, Beauty is the wonder of wonders. It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.” [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. Suggests that beauty, while often seen as shallow, is deeper than thought, and that true mystery lies in what we can see. **In simple terms:** Beauty is deeper than thought; mystery is visible. Key Takeaway Look beyond appearances to find deeper meaning. Themes beauty perception philosophy Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - art criticism - fashion - personal relationships - education - spiritual reflection Key Concepts aesthetics epistemology metaphysics Questions to Reflect On - What does “visible mystery” mean to you? - How do you judge beauty beyond surface? A Different Perspective Superficial focus on appearance can still dominate despite deeper insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Shallow People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shallow-people/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“No, you don't feel it now. Some day, when you are old and wrinkled and ugly, when thought has seared your forehead with its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/no-you-don-t-feel-it-now-some-day-when-you-are-old-and-wrinkled-and/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [To me, Beauty is the wonder of wonders...It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-me-beauty-is-the-wonder-of-wonders-it-is-only-shallow-people-who/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I have girls who are concerned about how they look compared to models or what have you. It's my responsibility to teach them that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-mcbride/i-have-girls-who-are-concerned-about-how-they-look-compared-to-models/) [Martina McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-mcbride/) > [“the people who love only once in their lives are really the shallow people. 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"What has the actual lapse of time got to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/what-is-done-is-done-what-is-past-is-past-you-call-yesterday-the-past/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“The people who love only once in their lives are really the shallow people. What they call their loyalty, and their fidelity, I call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-people-who-love-only-once-in-their-lives-are-really-the-shallow-2/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“It is only shallow people who require years to get rid of an emotion. A man who is master of himself can end a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-is-only-shallow-people-who-require-years-to-get-rid-of-an-emotion-2/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“The people who love only once in their lives are really the shallow people. (...) Faithfulness is to the emotional life what consistency is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-people-who-love-only-once-in-their-lives-are-really-the-shallow/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [It is only shallow people who require years to get rid of an emotion. A man who is master of himself can end a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-is-only-shallow-people-who-require-years-to-get-rid-of-an-emotion/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-is-only-shallow-people-who-do-not-judge-by-appearances/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [My dear boy, the people who love only once in their lives are really the shallow people. What they call their loyalty, and their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/my-dear-boy-the-people-who-love-only-once-in-their-lives-are-really/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“people who only love once in their lives are really shallow people. What they call their loyalty, and their fidelity, I call either the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/people-who-only-love-once-in-their-lives-are-really-shallow-people/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“What does the actual lapse of time got to do with it? It is only shallow people who require years to get rid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/what-does-the-actual-lapse-of-time-got-to-do-with-it-it-is-only/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## 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 Appearance quotes > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I just worried about my weight. 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It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [The essence of worldliness is exclusion of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-jacobsen/the-essence-of-worldliness-is-exclusion-of-god/) [Henry Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-jacobsen/) > [We must, however, note that what are usually called the high religions made their appearance within about twenty-five hundred years - most of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-scott-latourette/we-must-however-note-that-what-are-usually-called-the-high-religions/) [Kenneth Scott Latourette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-scott-latourette/) > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The turning points of lives are not the great moments. 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Art is first appearances, then meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-cannot-be-convinced-that-great-artists-are-moralists-art-is-first/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [So may the outward shows be least themselves; The world is still deceived with ornament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-may-the-outward-shows-be-least-themselves-the-world-is-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are one of many appearances of the thing called Life; we are not its perfect image, for it has no perfect image except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/we-are-one-of-many-appearances-of-the-thing-called-life-we-are-not/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [I'm OK with my appearance. 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