I turned on the pillow with a little moan, and at this juncture Jeeves entered with the vital oolong. I clutched at it like a drowning man at a straw hat.
P. G. WodehouseRead
One prefers, of course, on all occasions to be stainless and above reproach, but, failing that, the next best thing is unquestionably to have got rid of the body.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote humorously suggests that while one should strive to be morally flawless, it's better to avoid scrutiny altogether if that isn't possible.
P.G. Wodehouse's quote employs humor to reflect on the human desire for perfection and the unavoidable imperfections that come with being human. It suggests that while being morally impeccable is ideal, the reality is that avoiding judgment or responsibility, even in a humorous context, can sometimes feel like the next best option when flaws are acknowledged.
Themes
PerfectionMoralityHumorCriticismHuman Nature
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about embracing imperfections in leadership.
More from P. G. Wodehouse
All quotes βWhile not exactly disgruntled, he was far from feeling gruntled. He spoke with a certain what-is-it in his voice, and I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled.
P. G. WodehouseRead
She fitted into my biggest arm-chair as if it had been built round her by someone who knew they were wearing arm-chairs tight about the hips that season
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It was a nasty look. It made me feel as if I were something the dog had brought in and intended to bury later on, when he had time.
P. G. WodehouseRead
Memories are like mulligatawny soup in a cheap restaurant. It is wiser not to stir them.
P. G. WodehouseRead
It was a confusion of ideas between him and one of the lions he was hunting in Kenya that had caused A. B. Spottsworth to make the obituary column. He thought the lion was dead, and the lion thought it wasn't.
P. G. WodehouseRead
Similar quotes
Humor is a serious thing. I like to think of it as one of our greatest earliest natural resources, which must be preserved at all cost.
James ThurberRead
The object of a comedy is not to correct morals or ridicule the vices of society; no, a comedy should depict the discrepancies between life and purpose, should be the fruit of bitter indignation aroused by the degradation of human dignity, should be sarcasm, and not an epigram, convulsive laughter and not an amused grin, should be written with bile and not diluted salt, in a word, it should embrace life in its highest significance.
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Humor is just another defense against the universe.
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