Everything is dangerous, my dear fellow. If it wasn't so, life wouldn't be worth living.
Oscar WildeRead
Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everyone in good society holds exactly the same opinion.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Arguments reveal a lack of sophistication and unity in civilized society.
Oscar Wilde's quote suggests that engaging in arguments is a sign of vulgarity and ignorance, implying that in a well-functioning society, individuals share common beliefs and values. He critiques the discord that comes from conflicting opinions, indicating that true refinement comes from harmony and mutual understanding rather than contention.
Themes
ArgumentsSocietyOpinionVulgarityHarmony
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about social norms, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of shared values.
More from Oscar Wilde
All quotes βLondon is too full of fogs and serious people. Whether the fogs produce the serious people, or whether the serious people produce the fogs, I don't know.
Oscar WildeRead
When one has never heard a man's name in the course of one's life, it speaks volumes for him; he must be quite respectable.
Oscar WildeRead
Men always want to be a woman's first love - women like to be a man's last romance.
Oscar WildeRead
A truth ceases to be true when more than one person believes in it.
Oscar WildeRead
His morality is all sympathy, just what morality should be
Oscar WildeRead
Similar quotes
War is not the best way of settling differences; it is the only way of preventing their being settled for you.
Gilbert K. ChestertonRead
The Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention argues that no two countries that are both part of the same global supply chain will ever fight a war as long as they are each part of that supply chain.
Thomas FriedmanRead
Every emotion is keyed into some bodily location, and taken all together, they form the emotional body.
Deepak ChopraRead
I believe all religions pursue the same goals, that of cultivating human goodness and bringing happiness to all human beings. Though the means might appear different the ends are the same.
Dalai LamaRead
Religion is the opiate of the people.
Karl MarxRead
Thousands of years ago, weren't we capable of building enormous structures like the pyramids? Weren't we capable of worshiping gods, weaving, making fire, finding lovers and wives, sending written messages? Of course we were. But although we've succeeded in replacing slaves with wage slaves, all the advances we've made have been in the field of science. Human beings are still asking the same questions as their ancestors. In short, they haven't evolved at all.
Paulo CoelhoRead