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I forgot that every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character, and that therefore what one has done in the secret chamber one has some day to cry aloud on the house-tops.
Oscar Wilde
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Every action, no matter how small, contributes to our character and will eventually be revealed.

This quote reflects the idea that our daily actions and choices shape who we are and influence our character. Oscar Wilde emphasizes the importance of integrity and authenticity, indicating that even the smallest deeds contribute to our moral and ethical self, eventually manifesting in public view, which underscores the significance of being mindful in our everyday lives.

Themes

CharacterActionsIntegrityAuthenticityMoralitySelf

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about personal values and ethics, this quote can serve as a reminder of the importance of integrity.

More from Oscar Wilde

Everything is dangerous, my dear fellow. If it wasn't so, life wouldn't be worth living.
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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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