Everything is dangerous, my dear fellow. If it wasn't so, life wouldn't be worth living.
Oscar WildeRead
It is very vulgar to talk about one's own business. Only people like stockbrokers do that, and then only at dinner parties.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Talking about personal affairs is considered rude, except for certain professions and social situations.
In this quote, Oscar Wilde highlights the social faux pas of discussing one's own business or personal matters in public settings, suggesting that such behavior is only acceptable among specific professions, like stockbrokers, and typically during informal gatherings. Wilde's witty remark reflects societal norms and the comedic absurdity of how certain topics are deemed appropriate in social discourse.
Themes
VulgarityBusinessSocietyDinnerNorms
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used to lighten the mood at a social gathering where someone is overly sharing personal business.
More from Oscar Wilde
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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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