--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be popular one must be a mediocrity." description: "\"To be popular one must be a mediocrity.\" — Oscar Wilde" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/oscar-wilde-16_mediocrity_to-be-popular-one-must-be-a-mediocrity-2_2766611.jpg" --- # To be popular one must be a mediocrity. ![“To be popular one must be a mediocrity.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/oscar-wilde-16_mediocrity_to-be-popular-one-must-be-a-mediocrity-2_2766611.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/oscar-wilde-16_mediocrity_to-be-popular-one-must-be-a-mediocrity-2_2766611.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/oscar-wilde-16_mediocrity_to-be-popular-one-must-be-a-mediocrity-2_2766611.jpg) > “To be popular one must be a mediocrity.” [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. Popularity often requires compromising originality, leading to mediocrity **In simple terms:** Being popular can force one to be average Key Takeaway Value originality over mass appeal Themes popularity mediocrity authenticity Mood critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical cautionary When to use this quote - marketing strategy - personal branding - artistic choices Key Concepts social conformity creative integrity Questions to Reflect On - Do you sacrifice originality for acceptance? - What is the cost of mediocrity? A Different Perspective May ignore benefits of broad appeal ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocrity/) [Popular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular/) [Popular Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular-mediocrity-1193154/) [Popularity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popularity/) ## Related quotes > [Every effect that one produces gives one an enemy. To be popular one must be a mediocrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/every-effect-that-one-produces-gives-one-an-enemy-to-be-popular-one/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Like all good reputations... every effect that one produces gives one an enemy. To be popular one must be a mediocrity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/like-all-good-reputations-every-effect-that-one-produces-gives-one-an/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Popularity is the crown of laurel which the world puts on bad art. Whatever is popular is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/popularity-is-the-crown-of-laurel-which-the-world-puts-on-bad-art/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I can't do something just because it's popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buble/i-can-t-do-something-just-because-it-s-popular/) [Michael Buble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buble/) > [“No popularity exists when tragedy strikes. All that's left are human hearts and love and ache. We all love each other, deep down, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-van-wagenen/no-popularity-exists-when-tragedy-strikes-all-that-s-left-are-human/) [Maya Van Wagenen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-van-wagenen/) > [Some call-in moderators are neutral and courteous. Then there's Rush Limbaugh, who is funny and pompous and a scapegoater and hatemonger. His popularity could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donella-meadows/some-call-in-moderators-are-neutral-and-courteous-then-there-s-rush/) [Donella Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donella-meadows/) > [It doesn't matter if your popular or not, just be yourself! No matter what, don't let those jealousy people bring you down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uknown/it-doesn-t-matter-if-your-popular-or-not-just-be-yourself-no-matter/) [Uknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uknown/) > [Being popular doesn't mean you're better than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-mack/being-popular-doesn-t-mean-you-re-better-than-anyone-else/) [Alex Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-mack/) > [“Popular! In America, what else matters?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/popular-in-america-what-else-matters/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [There are a lot of things in this world that are more important than being popular. Being true to yourself is one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-landon/there-are-a-lot-of-things-in-this-world-that-are-more-important-than/) [Michael Landon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-landon/) > [I don't think people should do anything to be popular. But maybe within reason they can step out of their comfort zones and do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-lohan/i-don-t-think-people-should-do-anything-to-be-popular-but-maybe/) [Lindsay Lohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-lohan/) > [If you want to be popular all the time, you will misgovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-lee/if-you-want-to-be-popular-all-the-time-you-will-misgovern/) [Mr. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-lee/) > [“Hanging with people who make you feel unappreciated, for the mere sake of appearing to be popular, is the loneliest place to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-j-barrier/hanging-with-people-who-make-you-feel-unappreciated-for-the-mere-sake/) [Ellen J. Barrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-j-barrier/) > [Popular and good and bad is not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyrus-broacha/popular-and-good-and-bad-is-not-the-same-thing/) [Cyrus Broacha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyrus-broacha/) > [Being popular is the most important thing in the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/being-popular-is-the-most-important-thing-in-the-world/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) ## 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 Mediocrity quotes > [Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/mediocrity-knows-nothing-higher-than-itself-but-talent-instantly/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Christianity does not oppose debauchery and uncontrollable passions and the like as much as it opposes... flat mediocrity, this nauseating atmosphere, this homey, civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/christianity-does-not-oppose-debauchery-and-uncontrollable-passions/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [It is an error common to many artists, who strive merely to avoid mistakes, when all our efforts should be to create positive and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-steichen/it-is-an-error-common-to-many-artists-who-strive-merely-to-avoid/) [Edward Steichen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-steichen/) > [Only mediocrity can be trusted to be always at its best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-beerbohm/only-mediocrity-can-be-trusted-to-be-always-at-its-best/) [Max Beerbohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-beerbohm/) > [Let America first praise mediocrity even, in her children, before she praises... the best excellence in the children of any other land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/let-america-first-praise-mediocrity-even-in-her-children-before-she/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [If you want to be average, do what others do. If you want to be awesome, do what no one does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-den-heijer/if-you-want-to-be-average-do-what-others-do-if-you-want-to-be-awesome/) [Alexander Den Heijer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-den-heijer/) > [There has been an obvious effort to play it safe, to make 'Bonanza' a good family show that would offend no one and hit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pernell-roberts/there-has-been-an-obvious-effort-to-play-it-safe-to-make-bonanza-a/) [Pernell Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pernell-roberts/) > [Philadelphians are every whit as mediocre as their neighbors, but they seldom encourage each other in mediocrity by giving it a more agreeable name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/philadelphians-are-every-whit-as-mediocre-as-their-neighbors-but-they/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [Once you decide that mediocrity is unthinkable, your only choices are excellence and quitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-murray/once-you-decide-that-mediocrity-is-unthinkable-your-only-choices-are/) [Nick Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-murray/) > [At independence Kenya's economic indicators were equal to those of South Korea, but 45 years down the road, Korea's economy is 40 times that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raila-odinga/at-independence-kenya-s-economic-indicators-were-equal-to-those-of/) [Raila Odinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raila-odinga/) > [Trying to be cool is the easiest path to mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-crews/trying-to-be-cool-is-the-easiest-path-to-mediocrity/) [Terry Crews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-crews/) > [All greatness of character is dependent on individuality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/all-greatness-of-character-is-dependent-on-individuality/) [James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/) > [When Americans decry our politicians, we must remember that ultimately, politicians reflect us. When we demand more than mediocrity - and the passing comforts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-strock/when-americans-decry-our-politicians-we-must-remember-that-ultimately/) [James M Strock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-strock/) > [We will meet our challenges head on and we will do it by rejecting the politics of mediocrity and corruption. You voted for change;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-blagojevich/we-will-meet-our-challenges-head-on-and-we-will-do-it-by-rejecting/) [Rod Blagojevich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-blagojevich/) > [The greatest danger to Christianity is, I contend, not heresies, not heterodoxies, not atheists, not profane secularism - no, but the kind of orthodoxy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/the-greatest-danger-to-christianity-is-i-contend-not-heresies-not/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) [Browse all 929 Mediocrity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocrity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To be popular one must be a mediocrity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Wilde" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-be-popular-one-must-be-a-mediocrity/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Mediocrity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-be-popular-one-must-be-a-mediocrity/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/oscar-wilde-16_mediocrity_to-be-popular-one-must-be-a-mediocrity-2_2766611.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/oscar-wilde-16_mediocrity_to-be-popular-one-must-be-a-mediocrity-2_2766611.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/oscar-wilde-16_mediocrity_to-be-popular-one-must-be-a-mediocrity-2_2766611.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To be popular one must be a mediocrity.” — 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": "To be popular one must be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-be-popular-one-must-be-a-mediocrity/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-be-popular-one-must-be-a-mediocrity/#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 } } ] } ```