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
P. G. WodehouseRead
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
Bunbury? Oh, he was quite exploded. Exploded! Was he the victim of a revolutionary outrage? I was not aware that Mr. Bunbury was interested in social legislation. If so, he is well punished for his morbidity. My dear Aunt Augusta, I mean he was found out! The doctors found out that Bunbury could not , that is what I meanβso Bunbury died. He seems to have had great confidence in the opinion of his physicians.
Oscar WildeRead
Whiskey is carried into committee rooms in demijohns and carried out in demagogues.
Mark TwainRead
The reason so many people turned up at his funeral is that they wanted to make sure he was dead.
Samuel GoldwynRead
I'm convinced there's a small room in the attic of the Foreign Office where future diplomats are taught to stammer.
Peter UstinovRead
Humor and laughter - not necessarily derogatory derision - are my pet tools. This may come from my general philosophy of never taking the world too seriously - for fear of dying of boredom.
Marcel DuchampRead
I can hardly forbear hurling things at him.
William ShakespeareRead