--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only thing worse than being misquoted…" description: "\"The only thing worse than being misquoted is being sentenced to two years' hard labour for buggery\" — Oscar Wilde" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88d/oscar-wilde-16_hard_the-only-thing-worse-than-being-misquote_238685.jpg" --- # The only thing worse than being misquoted is being… ![“The only thing worse than being misquoted is being sentenced to two years' hard labour for buggery” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88d/oscar-wilde-16_hard_the-only-thing-worse-than-being-misquote_238685.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88d/oscar-wilde-16_hard_the-only-thing-worse-than-being-misquote_238685.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88d/oscar-wilde-16_hard_the-only-thing-worse-than-being-misquote_238685.jpg) > “The only thing worse than being misquoted is being sentenced to two years' hard labour for buggery” [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. Being misquoted is less damaging than being unjustly punished for a personal matter. **In simple terms:** Wrongful punishment outweighs misquotation. Key Takeaway Value truth over reputation. Themes justice humor absurdity Mood wry critical Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - court trials - media misrepresentation - historical legal cases Key Concepts legal injustice social satire Questions to Reflect On - What does this say about society’s priorities? - When have you witnessed a minor error cause a major injustice? A Different Perspective The quote mixes humor with serious critique, which may downplay real suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Labour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labour/) [Misquoted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misquoted/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) ## Related quotes > [A man in Detroit was sentenced to two years in prison for stealing a woman's car after skipping out on the check on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-meyers/a-man-in-detroit-was-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison-for-stealing-a/) [Seth Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-meyers/) > [By the age of 24, I found myself convicted in prison in Egypt, being blacklisted from three countries in the world for attempting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/by-the-age-of-24-i-found-myself-convicted-in-prison-in-egypt-being/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [Former U.S. House Majority Leader, Tom DeLay, has been sentenced to three years in prison. One year for money laundering and two more for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/former-u-s-house-majority-leader-tom-delay-has-been-sentenced-to/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [The court finds everyone to be in contempt (including himself :-), and orders everyone sentenced to five years hard labor. (Working on Perl, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/the-court-finds-everyone-to-be-in-contempt-including-himself-and/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [I think, the left makes a mistake. If you look particularly at the state levels, violent repeat criminals are not punished enough. The average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/i-think-the-left-makes-a-mistake-if-you-look-particularly-at-the/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) > [“Even sentenced to twenty-five years in prison Ted didn’t get what he deserved. Maybe his prison mates would give it to him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzie-ivy/even-sentenced-to-twenty-five-years-in-prison-ted-didn-t-get-what-he/) Suzie Ivy > [“Shukhov enjoyed it. He liked people pointing at him — see that man? He's nearly done his time — but he didn't let himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-i-solzhenitsyn/shukhov-enjoyed-it-he-liked-people-pointing-at-him-see-that-man-he-s/) [Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-i-solzhenitsyn/) > [“They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom...for trying to change the system from within”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/they-sentenced-me-to-twenty-years-of-boredom-for-trying-to-change-the/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [When I was sixteen years old, I was sentenced to two years in prison; the Swedish government changed it, so I could go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/when-i-was-sixteen-years-old-i-was-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [I'm very used to being misquoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konkona-sen-sharma/i-m-very-used-to-being-misquoted/) [Konkona Sen Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konkona-sen-sharma/) > [You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-have-the-right-to-remain-silent-anything-you-say-will-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is intensely frustrating to be misquoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-pearson-wright/it-is-intensely-frustrating-to-be-misquoted/) [Stuart Pearson Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-pearson-wright/) > [Every interview is as much an impression of the journalist as it is the artist or subject. You look at interviews and you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-hegarty/every-interview-is-as-much-an-impression-of-the-journalist-as-it-is/) [Antony Hegarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-hegarty/) > [“My silence is golden and can never be misquoted." ~Elissa Gabrielle”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-gabrielle/my-silence-is-golden-and-can-never-be-misquoted-elissa-gabrielle/) [Elissa Gabrielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-gabrielle/) > [Sometimes, not saying anything is the best answer. You see, silence can never be misquoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-not-saying-anything-is-the-best-answer-you-see-silence-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## 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 Hard quotes > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [It is hard to admit to someone that you love him..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misherie/it-is-hard-to-admit-to-someone-that-you-love-him/) [Misherie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misherie/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. 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