--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be really mediæval one should have no…" description: "\"To be really mediæval one should have no body. To be really modern one should have no soul. To be really Greek one should have no clothes.\" — Oscar Wilde" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/oscar-wilde-16_body_to-be-really-medi-val-one-should-have-no_746004.jpg" --- # To be really mediæval one should have no body. To be… ![“To be really mediæval one should have no body. To be really modern one should have no soul. To be really Greek one should have no clothes.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/oscar-wilde-16_body_to-be-really-medi-val-one-should-have-no_746004.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/oscar-wilde-16_body_to-be-really-medi-val-one-should-have-no_746004.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/oscar-wilde-16_body_to-be-really-medi-val-one-should-have-no_746004.jpg) > “To be really mediæval one should have no body. To be really modern one should have no soul. To be really Greek one should have no clothes.” [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 paradoxical critique of identity, suggesting that true authenticity requires shedding external labels and societal expectations. **In simple terms:** True self needs shedding of roles. Key Takeaway Embrace inner authenticity beyond labels. Themes identity authenticity philosophy Mood reflective provocative Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal growth - artistic expression - cultural analysis Key Concepts existentialism social critique Questions to Reflect On - What labels limit your true self? - How can you balance authenticity with societal roles? A Different Perspective May overlook the need for physical presence and social connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Clothes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clothes/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) ## Related quotes > [There's a sense of urgency in understanding that your body is not really your own. We can control it to a certain extent through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/there-s-a-sense-of-urgency-in-understanding-that-your-body-is-not/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [I have the opportunity, which most people don't experience nearly as much, of being in front of a mirror up to 10 hours a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/i-have-the-opportunity-which-most-people-don-t-experience-nearly-as/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [“And then I got really sad. I'm simply too young to hate my body. I'm going to be old in like two minutes, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-tucillo/and-then-i-got-really-sad-i-m-simply-too-young-to-hate-my-body-i-m/) Liz Tucillo > [When it comes to modeling, I always feel like my body is a myth or a story that is told by other people, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-nef/when-it-comes-to-modeling-i-always-feel-like-my-body-is-a-myth-or-a/) [Hari Nef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-nef/) > [The body becomes the carrier for the work. It's not really about the physical body; it really becomes the apparatus that carries and moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/the-body-becomes-the-carrier-for-the-work-it-s-not-really-about-the/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [I can encourage my daughter to love her body, but what really matters are the observations she makes about my relationship with my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/i-can-encourage-my-daughter-to-love-her-body-but-what-really-matters/) [Brene Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [“I’m having a permanent out-of-body experience. When it’s finally done, I lie flat on my back. Glare up at the greenish, star-pricked night sky.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-wilson/i-m-having-a-permanent-out-of-body-experience-when-it-s-finally-done/) [Daniel H. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-wilson/) > [I'm like a black boy in a white girls body, I really am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-winehouse/i-m-like-a-black-boy-in-a-white-girls-body-i-really-am/) [Amy Winehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-winehouse/) > [It wasn't until I owned my body and really learned to love it - all of it - that my career just went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-bidot/it-wasn-t-until-i-owned-my-body-and-really-learned-to-love-it-all-of/) [Denise Bidot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-bidot/) > [It's wrong for women to be constantly shy and embarrassed about their bodies. There are so many images of unattainable beauty that are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kingston/it-s-wrong-for-women-to-be-constantly-shy-and-embarrassed-about-their/) [Alex Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kingston/) > [My face doesn't sweat, and my body never really ever sweats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffree-star/my-face-doesn-t-sweat-and-my-body-never-really-ever-sweats/) [Jeffree Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffree-star/) > [Society, like nature, is one body, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-griffin/society-like-nature-is-one-body-really/) [Susan Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-griffin/) > [Sexuality is so much more complex than our boobs. My sexuality isn't me as an object to be looked at. It's the way I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-maslany/sexuality-is-so-much-more-complex-than-our-boobs-my-sexuality-isn-t/) [Tatiana Maslany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-maslany/) > [The soul never dies and the body is never really alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/the-soul-never-dies-and-the-body-is-never-really-alive/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [“I keep thinking that if I could just unzip my skin, step out of this body, then I would see who I really am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-keep-thinking-that-if-i-could-just-unzip-my-skin-step-out-of-this/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) ## 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 Body quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/) [Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/) [Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) [Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To be really mediæval one should have no body. To be really modern one should have no soul. To be really Greek one should have no clothes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Wilde" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-be-really-medi-val-one-should-have-no-body-to-be-really-modern-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Body" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-be-really-medi-val-one-should-have-no-body-to-be-really-modern-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/oscar-wilde-16_body_to-be-really-medi-val-one-should-have-no_746004.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/oscar-wilde-16_body_to-be-really-medi-val-one-should-have-no_746004.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/oscar-wilde-16_body_to-be-really-medi-val-one-should-have-no_746004.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To be really mediæval one should have no body. To be really modern one should have no soul. To be really…” — 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 really mediæval one should...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-be-really-medi-val-one-should-have-no-body-to-be-really-modern-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-be-really-medi-val-one-should-have-no-body-to-be-really-modern-one/#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 } } ] } ```