Lord Noel Likes Oscar Wilde

What ho! Pepys...

Today we have some of the lovely Irishman (who never lived in Norfolk) Oscar Wilde's many Quips...

There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written.

But what is the difference between literature and journalism? Journalism is unreadable and literature is not read. That is all.

We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language.

America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.

A pompous speaker who had a great opinion of himself gave a long after-dinner speech. He then made the mistake of turning to his neighbour on the top table, who happened to be Oscar Wilde, and asked, 'How would you have delivered that speech?' Under an assumed name', came the reply from Oscar Wilde.

Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination

There are only two kinds of people who are really fascinating: people who know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing.

To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars

An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught

The basis of optimism is sheer terror.

Genius is born - not paid.

If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.

'One can always be kind to people about whom one cares nothing.'

The only thing that sustains one through life is the consciousness of the immense inferiority of everybody else and this is a feeling that I have always cultivated.

To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable.

Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man's original virtue. It is through disobedience and rebellion that progress has been made.

I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.

There is no sin except stupidity.


Tallyho!

Best Wishes - Lord Noel