Everything is dangerous, my dear fellow. If it wasn't so, life wouldn't be worth living.
Oscar WildeRead
She wore far too much rouge last night and not quite enough clothes. That is always a sign of despair in a woman.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights a woman's attempt to cope with despair through superficial means such as makeup and clothing.
In this quote, Oscar Wilde observes a woman who has applied excessive makeup but is underdressed, suggesting that her external appearance is a reflection of inner turmoil or despair. It implies that when people feel low or despondent, they may resort to exaggerated or desperate attempts to present themselves in a different light, often as a mask to conceal their true feelings.
Themes
DespairMakeupAppearanceWomanEmotion
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about self-image and mental health, this quote can illustrate how appearance can mask deeper issues.
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.
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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.
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Men always want to be a woman's first love - women like to be a man's last romance.
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A truth ceases to be true when more than one person believes in it.
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His morality is all sympathy, just what morality should be
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