Everything is dangerous, my dear fellow. If it wasn't so, life wouldn't be worth living.
Oscar WildeRead
The basis of optimism is sheer terror.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Optimism often emerges from the fear of failures and unknowns.
Oscar Wilde suggests that optimism is rooted in the anxiety and dread of what could happen if we don't maintain a positive outlook. This implies that the fear of negative outcomes can provoke a more hopeful perspective on life, as we consciously choose to focus on the brighter side to counterbalance our fears.
Themes
OptimismFearTerrorHopePerspective
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a motivational speech about overcoming challenges.
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
Oscar WildeRead
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