Oscar Wilde’s Wit
Oscar Wilde’s Wit: 10 Quotes That Will Make You Smirk
If literary sass were an Olympic sport, Oscar Wilde would have taken home gold every time. The Irish playwright, poet, and all-around literary troublemaker was famous for his razor-sharp wit, flamboyant personality, and scathing social critiques wrapped in humor so clever it could cut glass. From biting remarks on society to hilarious takes on human nature, Wilde’s words still hit as hard today as they did in the 19th century. Let’s dive into ten of his wittiest quotes and why they still make us smirk today.
Who Was Oscar Wilde?
Before we dive into the wit, let’s set the scene. Wilde, born in 1854, was the ultimate literary rockstar of his day. He dominated the London theatre scene with The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband, wrote the decadent horror novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and ruffled plenty of aristocratic feathers along the way. He was also, unfortunately, ahead of his time, and his scandalous downfall at the hands of a rigid society is as famous as his wit.
The Top 10 Wildean Zingers (Use Responsibly)
1. “I can resist everything except temptation.”
- A timeless confession of self-indulgence, this quip perfectly captures Wilde’s flair for paradoxical humour.
2. “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
- A favourite among self-help gurus, though ironically, no concrete evidence suggests Wilde actually said this. But let’s face it—it sounds like something he would have.
3. “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.”
- A polite way to say, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
4. “Work is the curse of the drinking classes.”
- Wilde’s tongue-in-cheek take on the Victorian work ethic, proving he’d be right at home in any happy-hour conversation.
5. “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
- Taken from Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892), this poetic gem reminds us that perspective is everything.
6. “Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”
- The ultimate revenge isn’t vengeance—it’s indifference. Wilde’s brilliance shines in his understanding of human nature.
7. “A man’s face is his autobiography. A woman’s face is her work of fiction.”
- A razor-sharp commentary on gender and appearance, sure to ruffle feathers even today.
8. “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.”
- Wilde’s playful jab at morality and repression, straight from The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890).
9. “Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.”
- Proof that Wilde would have had plenty to say about fast fashion today.
10. “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.”
Self-care advice, Wilde style. He was the king of confidence before it was cool.
Wilde’s Legacy: Why His Wit Still Matters
Despite his tragic fall from grace (a brutal prison sentence for “gross indecency” in 1895), Wilde’s words have endured. His work remains a staple of English literature, his quotes are plastered all over the internet, and his influence on satire and comedy is undeniable. His wit remains timeless because human nature hasn’t changed all that much. Society still frowns upon rebels, people still put on masks to fit in, and we still struggle with temptation. Wilde just had a far more entertaining way of pointing it all out. Wilde may have been too witty for his time, but in today’s meme-driven world, he’d probably be a Twitter legend.
Oscar Wilde’s humour wasn’t just about making people laugh—it was a scalpel, slicing through hypocrisy and pretension with elegant ease. His plays (The Importance of Being Earnest, An Ideal Husband), his novel (The Picture of Dorian Gray), and his personal life all reflect his unyielding commitment to individualism, creativity, and saying things no one else dared to.
References
- Sturgis, Matthew. Oscar: A Life. London: Head of Zeus, 2018.
- Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. London: Ward, Lock & Co., 1890.
- Wilde, Oscar. Lady Windermere’s Fan. London: St. James’s Theatre, 1892.
- Ellmann, Richard. Oscar Wilde. New York: Knopf, 1988.
I love this author.