Everything is dangerous, my dear fellow. If it wasn't so, life wouldn't be worth living.
Oscar WildeRead
By persistently remaining single a man converts himself into a permanent public temptation.
Interpretation
Remaining single can attract unwanted attention and be seen as a challenge or temptation by others.
Oscar Wilde's quote suggests that a man who chooses to stay single for an extended period may inadvertently become an object of desire for others, drawing attention to himself and possibly complicating his social interactions. The idea highlights the societal perceptions of single individuals and how their status can spark intrigue and temptation in those around them.
In practice
In a speech about modern relationships, one might quote Wilde to emphasize the complexity of being single.
Everything is dangerous, my dear fellow. If it wasn't so, life wouldn't be worth living.
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.
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.
Men always want to be a woman's first love - women like to be a man's last romance.
A truth ceases to be true when more than one person believes in it.
His morality is all sympathy, just what morality should be
The first thing you should do with an actor is not sign a contract with him. Take him to dinner. And take him for a walk afterwards.
I am not your justification for existence.
[America] will stand steadfast with Israel in pursuit of security and a lasting peace.
When once married people begin to attack me with, 'Oh! you will think very differently, when you are married,' I can only say, 'No I shall not'; and then they say again, 'Yes you will,' and there is an end to it.
Introverted feeling types have a wealth of warmth and enthusiasm, but they may not show it until they know someone well. They wear their warm side inside, like a fur-lined coat.
We reaffirm that on days like this, there are no Republicans or Democrats. We are Americans, united in concern for our fellow citizens.
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