"All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril."

Action
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Insight & Reflection

Words carry weight, and Oscar Wilde's insight into action is no exception. It serves as a gentle reminder that amidst the chaos of modern life, timeless wisdom still holds the power to guide our decisions and clarify our values.

About Oscar Wilde

Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish author, poet and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential dramatists in London in the early 1890s. He was a key figure in the emerging Aestheticism movement of the late 19th century and is widely regarded as the greatest playwright of the Victorian era. Wilde is best known for his Gothic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), his epigrams, plays and bedtime stories for children, as well as his criminal conviction in 1895 for gross indecency and for practicing homosexual acts.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the Quotes Archive Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Oscar Wilde

"Women are never disarmed by compliments. Men always are. That is the difference between the sexes."

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"Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught."

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"Do not have evil-doers for friends, do not have low people for friends: have virtuous people for friends, have for friends the best of men."

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"One of the things the government can't do is run anything. The only things our government runs are the post office and the railroads, and both of them are bankrupt."

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"Do not wait for favorable winds; take the oars and row toward your horizon. Reflect upon this whenever doubt clouds your horizon."

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