Everything is dangerous, my dear fellow. If it wasn't so, life wouldn't be worth living.
Oscar WildeRead
In America the President reigns for four years, and Journalism governs forever and ever.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the idea that while political leaders have temporary tenure, the influence of journalism lasts longer and shapes public perception.
Oscar Wilde's quote reflects on the transient nature of political power, particularly the presidency in America, which is limited to a four-year term. In contrast, he suggests that journalism holds a more enduring power, as it continuously influences and governs public discourse, opinions, and the political landscape, thus having a lasting impact on society and culture.
Themes
PresidentJournalismPowerGovernanceInfluence
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about media freedom, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of journalism.
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
Here we are the way politics ought to be in America; the politics of happiness, the politics of purpose and the politics of joy.
Hubert H. HumphreyRead
Iran has to live up to its international obligations. . . . The president has said that our patience is not unlimited.
Barack ObamaRead
We say there are people who have worked in campaigns who say that they have lost some - and we call those folks operatives, managers, strategists, consultants; and then there are people who work in campaigns and say that they have never lost, and we call them liars.
James CarvilleRead
Democracy is, in essence, a form of non-violent conflict management. If war is the worst enemy of development, healthy and balanced development is the best form of conflict prevention.
Kofi AnnanRead
It is from weakness that people reach for dictators and concentrated government power. Only the strong can be free. And only the productive can be strong.
Wendell WillkieRead
A politician normally prospers under democracy in proportion ... as he excels in the invention of imaginary perils and imaginary defenses against them.
H. L. MenckenRead