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Lady Bracknell. Good afternoon, dear Algernon, I hope you are behaving very well. Algernon. I’m feeling very well, Aunt Augusta. Lady Bracknell. That’s not quite the same thing. In fact the two things rarely go together.
Oscar Wilde
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote highlights the distinction between physical well-being and good behavior, suggesting they are often not aligned.

In this exchange between Lady Bracknell and Algernon, Oscar Wilde cleverly illustrates the nuance of human behavior, emphasizing that feeling well physically does not imply moral or social rectitude. The wit comes from the recognition that in society, people may often appear well externally while their behavior might be questionable. This reinforces Wilde's frequently satirical take on Victorian social norms.

Themes

BehavingWellPhysicalHumorSociety

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech on societal norms, one might use the quote to highlight the discrepancy between outward appearances and true behavior.

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