Everything is dangerous, my dear fellow. If it wasn't so, life wouldn't be worth living.
Oscar WildeRead
But whether I become a believer or remain an agnostic, my belief or disbelief must derive its source from within, not from without. I, myself, must create its symbols. The transcendental is that which produces its own form. I will never discover its secret if I do not find it in my own heart; if I do not possess it already I shall never be able to acquire it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True belief comes from within oneself rather than external influences.
In this quote, Oscar Wilde emphasizes the importance of individual introspection in shaping one's beliefs. He suggests that whether one chooses to believe or remain skeptical, the source of such convictions must come from personal experience and understanding, rather than being imposed by outside forces. The essence of truth and belief is found deep within, and one must actively seek and cultivate it in order to truly comprehend its significance.
Themes
BeliefSelf-DiscoveryIntrospectionPhilosophyInner Strength
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about personal beliefs, I would use this quote to emphasize the importance of self-exploration in developing one's faith.
More from Oscar Wilde
All quotes →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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