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.
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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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