--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is done is done. What is past is…" description: "\"“What is done is done. What is past is past.\" \"You call yesterday the past?\" \"What has the actual lapse of time got to do with it? It is only shallow p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/oscar-wilde-16_compassion_what-is-done-is-done-what-is-past-is-pas_2251633.jpg" --- # What is done is done. What is past is past." "You call… ![“What is done is done. What is past is past." "You call yesterday the past?" "What has the actual lapse of time got to do with it? It is only shallow people who require years to get rid of an emotion. A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don't…” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/oscar-wilde-16_compassion_what-is-done-is-done-what-is-past-is-pas_2251633.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/oscar-wilde-16_compassion_what-is-done-is-done-what-is-past-is-pas_2251633.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/oscar-wilde-16_compassion_what-is-done-is-done-what-is-past-is-pas_2251633.jpg) > ““What is done is done. What is past is past." "You call yesterday the past?" "What has the actual lapse of time got to do with it? It is only shallow people who require years to get rid of an emotion. A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.”” [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. The quote urges mastery over emotions, treating them as tools rather than masters, and dismisses lingering sorrow as trivial. **In simple terms:** Control emotions, don't be ruled by them. Key Takeaway Use emotions wisely, dominate them. Themes self‑control emotional intelligence philosophy Mood reflective determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - stress management - creative work - relationship conflicts Key Concepts Stoicism mindfulness self‑mastery Questions to Reflect On - How can you channel emotions productively? - What limits your emotional mastery? A Different Perspective Emotions are complex; total control may be unrealistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [End Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-sorrow-375916/) [Past Actual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-actual-5144955/) [Past Is Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-is-past/) [Past Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-past/) [Past Yesterday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-yesterday-1151820/) [Rid Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rid-emotion-1088026/) [Shallow People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shallow-people/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“What does the actual lapse of time got to do with it? 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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/) > [What is past is past. You can do nothing about yesterday and last month and the failures of last year, but you can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/what-is-past-is-past-you-can-do-nothing-about-yesterday-and-last/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don't want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-man-who-is-master-of-himself-can-end-a-sorrow-as-easily-as-he-can-2/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-man-who-is-master-of-himself-can-end-a-sorrow-as-easily-as-he-can/) [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/) > [People say sometimes that Beauty is superficial. That may be so. But at least it is not so superficial as Thought is. To me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/people-say-sometimes-that-beauty-is-superficial-that-may-be-so-but-at/) [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/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“My dear boy, the people who only love 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-only-love-once-in-their-lives-are-really/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“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/) > [“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/) ## 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 Compassion quotes > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/) [Segun Magbagbeola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/segun-magbagbeola/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-could-not-have-slept-tonight-if-i-had-left-that-helpless-little/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [“Helpers in every corner, helpers in every hood. That's how we'll make the move, to reform from rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/helpers-in-every-corner-helpers-in-every-hood-that-s-how-we-ll-make/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [May the gods have mercy on whoever pisses them off, because Zarek and Jericho will have none for them. (Madoc) You’d better be glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/may-the-gods-have-mercy-on-whoever-pisses-them-off-because-zarek-and/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“la ilaha ilallah muhammadun rasulullah, alaihi salatullah wa alihi wal ahibba "shine your mercy like the sun, and be gracious as the earth let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-al-habib/la-ilaha-ilallah-muhammadun-rasulullah-alaihi-salatullah-wa-alihi-wal/) [Talib al Habib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-al-habib/) > [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) [Browse all 9,892 Compassion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What is done is done. 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