--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was young, we thought that Oscar…" description: "\"When I was young, we thought that Oscar Wilde was a great nobleman who had thrown his life away for love. Nothing could be less true. He slept with Eas..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/quentin-crisp-1163_boys_when-i-was-young-we-thought-that-oscar-w_797753.png" --- # When I was young, we thought that Oscar Wilde was a great… ![“When I was young, we thought that Oscar Wilde was a great nobleman who had thrown his life away for love. Nothing could be less true. He slept with East Enders who were procured for him by Lord Alfred Douglas. He knew them only 'in Braille' - the curtains were never drawn back in the rooms in…” quote by Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/quentin-crisp-1163_boys_when-i-was-young-we-thought-that-oscar-w_797753.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/quentin-crisp-1163_boys_when-i-was-young-we-thought-that-oscar-w_797753.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/quentin-crisp-1163_boys_when-i-was-young-we-thought-that-oscar-w_797753.png) > “When I was young, we thought that Oscar Wilde was a great nobleman who had thrown his life away for love. Nothing could be less true. He slept with East Enders who were procured for him by Lord Alfred Douglas. He knew them only 'in Braille' - the curtains were never drawn back in the rooms in Oxford where he met those boys. It was the most sordid life you can imagine. And he was bleating about love and dragging the fair name of Mr. Plato into the trial - after a life like that?” [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) ## 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 challenges mythic narratives about historical figures, exposing the contrast between public perception and private reality. **In simple terms:** Famous people often have hidden, messy lives. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about celebrated individuals. Themes myth vs reality public image sexuality Mood critical reflective Type analytical historical When to use this quote - historical biography - LGBTQ+ history - media analysis Key Concepts Victorian morality celebrity culture privacy Questions to Reflect On - How do we reconcile a person's public persona with their private actions? - What responsibilities do storytellers have to truth? A Different Perspective Public narratives can oversimplify complex lives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Braille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/braille/) [Ender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ender/) [Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord/) [Noblemen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noblemen/) [Oscars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oscars/) [Trials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trials/) ## Related quotes > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Louis Braille created the code of raised dots for reading and writing that bears his name and brings literacy, independence, and productivity to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-ney/louis-braille-created-the-code-of-raised-dots-for-reading-and-writing/) [Bob Ney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-ney/) > [Written on the body is a secret code only visible in certain lights: the accumulations of a lifetime gather there. In places the palimpsest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/written-on-the-body-is-a-secret-code-only-visible-in-certain-lights/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [When I was 13, I started working in a nightclub with Ray Charles. That's the greatest school in the world, the school of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quincy-jones/when-i-was-13-i-started-working-in-a-nightclub-with-ray-charles-that/) [Quincy Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quincy-jones/) > [Love wouldn't be blind if the Braille weren't so damned much fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/love-wouldn-t-be-blind-if-the-braille-weren-t-so-damned-much-fun/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [“I once gave my friend his braille book to him upside down and I got a punch in the shoulder. He was aiming for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haresh-daswani/i-once-gave-my-friend-his-braille-book-to-him-upside-down-and-i-got-a/) [Haresh Daswani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haresh-daswani/) > [I felt permanently exiled from 'normality.' Whether imposed by self or society, this outsider status - and not the disability itself - constitutes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mairs/i-felt-permanently-exiled-from-normality-whether-imposed-by-self-or/) [Nancy Mairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mairs/) > [Effective use of Braille is as important to the blind as independent mobility, knowledge in the use of adaptive technology, and the core belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-ney/effective-use-of-braille-is-as-important-to-the-blind-as-independent/) [Bob Ney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-ney/) > [Braille is knowledge, and knowledge is power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-braille/braille-is-knowledge-and-knowledge-is-power/) Louis Braille > [So I was at the gas station the other day, and I saw that there was braille on the pumps. I don't see how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/so-i-was-at-the-gas-station-the-other-day-and-i-saw-that-there-was/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [I once stole a pornographic book that was printed in braille. I used to rub the dirty parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-once-stole-a-pornographic-book-that-was-printed-in-braille-i-used/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Of course I read Braille, yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-wonder/of-course-i-read-braille-yes/) [Stevie Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-wonder/) > [“If I had echolocation I could map out the terrain of ab muscles through sheer force of will. His cut body is meant to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-kent/if-i-had-echolocation-i-could-map-out-the-terrain-of-ab-muscles/) [Julia Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-kent/) > [Learning to read music in Braille and play by ear helped me develop a damn good memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/learning-to-read-music-in-braille-and-play-by-ear-helped-me-develop-a/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [Marlee has said a million times, "Wouldn't it be funny if there was a camera trained on the two of us?" because we get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-jason/marlee-has-said-a-million-times-wouldn-t-it-be-funny-if-there-was-a/) [Jack Jason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-jason/) ## More by Quentin Crisp > [You can behave as badly as you like in America. Nobody notices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/you-can-behave-as-badly-as-you-like-in-america-nobody-notices/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/never-keep-up-with-the-joneses-drag-them-down-to-your-level/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [“Masturbation is not only an expression of self-regard: it is also the natural emotional outlet of those who, before anything has reared its ugly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/masturbation-is-not-only-an-expression-of-self-regard-it-is-also-the/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [I am the last of Britain's stately homos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-am-the-last-of-britain-s-stately-homos/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [My mother protected me from the world and my father threatened me with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/my-mother-protected-me-from-the-world-and-my-father-threatened-me/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Nothing more rapidly inclines a person to go into a monastery than reading a book on etiquette. There are so many trivial ways in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/nothing-more-rapidly-inclines-a-person-to-go-into-a-monastery-than/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Vice is its own reward. It is virtue which, if it is to be marketed with consumer appeal, must carry Green Shield stamps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/vice-is-its-own-reward-it-is-virtue-which-if-it-is-to-be-marketed/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Most men when they make up their faces, the makeup stands forward, and their faces are behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/most-men-when-they-make-up-their-faces-the-makeup-stands-forward-and/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Development of character consists solely in moving toward self-sufficiency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/development-of-character-consists-solely-in-moving-toward-self/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Women have decided to be people, which is a great mistake. Women were nicer than people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/women-have-decided-to-be-people-which-is-a-great-mistake-women-were/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Sex is the last refuge of the misreable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/sex-is-the-last-refuge-of-the-misreable/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [I was amazed to receive later a substantial sum for sitting in my room and talking about myself. If only I could get some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-was-amazed-to-receive-later-a-substantial-sum-for-sitting-in-my/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [If you live in America, you don't have to work. You can just drift along in the smiling and nodding racket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/if-you-live-in-america-you-don-t-have-to-work-you-can-just-drift/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [“I was from birth an object of mild ridicule because of my movements - especially the perpetual flutter of my hands - and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-was-from-birth-an-object-of-mild-ridicule-because-of-my-movements/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [If a man were to look over the fence on one side of his garden and observe that the neighbor on his left had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/if-a-man-were-to-look-over-the-fence-on-one-side-of-his-garden-and/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) [Explore all 279 Quentin Crisp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) ## More Boys quotes > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [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/) > [Lets face it this world is ruled by girls that why we must away pleases our girls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrawesome/lets-face-it-this-world-is-ruled-by-girls-that-why-we-must-away/) MrAwesome > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [When it comes to bullying small businesses, Donald Trump is the poster boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/when-it-comes-to-bullying-small-businesses-donald-trump-is-the-poster/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/) [Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/) > [In the middle of a play, I go crazy and don't realize what I'm doing. I'll snap back to reality and I realize, 'Hey,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-bosworth/in-the-middle-of-a-play-i-go-crazy-and-don-t-realize-what-i-m-doing-i/) [Brian Bosworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-bosworth/) > [If Pete’s (Sampras) child is a girl, my son will like her; if he’s a boy, my son will defeat him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/if-pete-s-sampras-child-is-a-girl-my-son-will-like-her-if-he-s-a-boy/) [Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/) > [The tie's a multi purpose accessory, y'know, belt, school boy, Rambo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/the-tie-s-a-multi-purpose-accessory-y-know-belt-school-boy-rambo/) [Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/) > [The reason I went to an all-boys Catholic school was because they had the best football team. We won the state championship my junior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-rossi/the-reason-i-went-to-an-all-boys-catholic-school-was-because-they-had/) [Theo Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-rossi/) > [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [She had been dragged in the most humiliating of all dusts, the dust reserved for older women who let themselves be approached, on amorous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-von-arnim/she-had-been-dragged-in-the-most-humiliating-of-all-dusts-the-dust/) [Elizabeth von Arnim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-von-arnim/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) [Browse all 7,168 Boys quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was young, we thought that Oscar Wilde was a great nobleman who had thrown his life away for love. Nothing could be less true. He slept with East Enders who were procured for him by Lord Alfred Douglas. He knew them only 'in Braille' - the curtains were never drawn back in the rooms in Oxford where he met those boys. 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