Everything is dangerous, my dear fellow. If it wasn't so, life wouldn't be worth living.
Oscar WildeRead
Fathers should be neither seen nor heard. That is the only proper basis for family life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that fathers should be more passive in family life, implying that their presence should be subtle.
Oscar Wilde's quote playfully asserts that for a harmonious family life, fathers should take a backseat, neither dominating the household with their presence nor imposing their authority. The statement reflects a wry observation on familial dynamics, hinting that a less visible father figure can promote a more peaceful and balanced environment within the family.
Themes
FatherFamilyPresenceDynamicsHarmony
In practice
Example use cases
During a family therapy session, the counselor quoted Oscar Wilde to emphasize the importance of balance in parental roles.
More from Oscar Wilde
All quotes →London 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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My father was the quintessential husband and dad.
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