Authentic Oscar Wilde Quotes With Citations

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Playwright, author and poet Oscar Wilde is a popular literary figure from Dublin.

This wild, witty and flamboyant writer is popularly known for his notable works: “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and “The Importance of Being Earnest”.

His only novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” published in 1891.

This book caused a stir among the Victorian critics because of the homoerotic overtones content.

In 1891, Wilde had an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, nicknamed ‘Bosie’.

In 1895, Wilde was arrested on charges of “gross indecency” and was imprisoned for two years.

While he was in prison, Reading Gaol, he wrote “De Profundis”.

After the released, the controversial Wilde the poem titled “The Ballad Of Reading Gaol”.

On November 30, 1900, Oscar Wilde at the age of 46.

Authentic Oscar Wilde Quotations

Anyway, here is my selection of authentic Oscar Wilde quotations taken from his novel, plays, essays and also letters.

“Man can believe the impossible, but man can never believe the improbable.” – Oscar Wilde

(Intentions By Oscar Wilde, Portland:Thomas B. Mosher, 1904, The Decay Of Lying, P. 45)

(The quote is also found in: The Decay of Lying: And Other Essays By Oscar Wilde, London: Penguin, 2010, The Decay Of Lying) source

“In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Plays Of Oscar Wilde By Oscar Wilde, Volume I, Boston & London: John W. Luce & Co., 1905, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Act III, P. 57)

(The quote is also found in: Lady Windermere’s Fan By Oscar Wilde, US: ReadHowYouWant.com, 2010, Act III, P. 93)

“The old believe everything; the middle-aged suspect everything; the young know everything.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Writings Of Oscar Wilde: Epigrams; Phrases And Philosophies. For The Young By Oscar Wilde, London/New York: A.R. Keller & Co. Inc., 1907, Phrases And Philosophies, P. 144)

(The quote is found in: Epigrams of Oscar Wilde By Oscar Wilde, Wordsworth Editions, 2007, The Flight Into Nothingness, P. 166)

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Soul of Man Under Socialism By Oscar Wilde, Arthur L. Humphreys, 1912, P. 20)

(The quote is also found in: The Soul of Man Under Socialism By Oscar Wilde, Introduction By Dr. Kerry Bolton, Black House Publishing Ltd, 2012, Base Existence Versus Creativity, P. 13)

“Ordinary riches can be stolen from a man. Real riches cannot. In the treasury-house of your soul, there are infinitely precious things that may not be taken from you.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Soul of Man Under Socialism By Oscar Wilde, London: Arthur L. Humphreys, 1912, P. 26)

(The quote is also found in: The Soul of Man Under Socialism By Oscar Wilde, Auckland, New Zealand:The Floating Press, 2009, P.18) source

“The well bred contradict other people. The wise contradict themselves.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Writings Of Oscar Wilde: Epigrams; Phrases And Philosophies. For The Young By Oscar Wilde, London/New York: A.R. Keller & Co. Inc., 1907, Phrases And Philosophies, P. 142)

(The quote is also found in: Oscar Wilde – The Major Works By Oscar Wilde, Edited With An Introduction And Notes By Isobel Murray, Oxford University Press, UK, 2000, Phrases And Philosophies For The Use Of The Young, P. 572) source

“Avoid arguments of any kind. They are always vulgar, and often convincing.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Writings Of Oscar Wilde: Epigrams; Phrases And Philosophies. For The Young By Oscar Wilde, London/New York: A.R. Keller & Co. Inc., 1907, Phrases And Philosophies, P. 145)

(The quote is also found in: The Complete Works Of Oscar Wilde By Oscar Wilde, Volume 10, New York: Doubleday, Page, 1923, P. 215) source

“Only the shallow know themselves.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Writings Of Oscar Wilde: Epigrams; Phrases And Philosophies. For The Young By Oscar Wilde, London/New York: A.R. Keller & Co. Inc., 1907, Phrases And Philosophies, P. 142) source

(The quote is also found in: Oscar Wilde – The Major Works By Oscar Wilde, Edited With An Introduction And Notes By Isobel Murray, UK: Oxford University Press, 2000, Phrases And Philosophies For The Use Of The Young, P. 572) source

“The critic has to educate the public; the artist has to educate the critic.” – Oscar Wilde

(Oscar Wilde: Art And Morality; A Defence Of “The Picture Of Dorian Gray”, Edited By Stuart Mason, London: J. Jacobs, 1908, “The Scots Observer’s” Review, Oscar Wilde’s Replies, 16, Tite Street, Chelsea, 13th August, 1890)

(The quote is also found in: The Soul of Man Under Socialism And Selected Critical Prose By Oscar Wilde, Penguin UK, 2007, In Defence Of Dorian Gray (1890-91), To The Editor Of The Scots Observer, 13 August 1890) source

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.XIX, PP. 241-42) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By by Oscar Wilde, US: Lulu Press, 2015, Ch. 20, P. 208) source

“It is better to be beautiful than to be good. But it is better to be good than to be ugly.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Writings Of Oscar Wilde: Epigrams; Phrases And Philosophies. For The Young By Oscar Wilde, London/New York: A.R. Keller & Co. Inc., 1907, Phrases And Philosophies, P. 54)

(The quote is also found in: Epigrams And Aphorisms By Oscar Wilde, Germany: BoD – Books On Demand, 2014, P. 20) source

“I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.” – Oscar Wilde

(Oscar Wilde: An Idler’s Impression By Edgar Saltus, Chicago: Brothers Of The Book, 1917, P. 20) source

(The quote is also found in: Oscar Wilde: An Idler’s Impression By Edgar Saltus, Chicago: Brothers Of The Book, 1917, P. 20)

“There are many things that we would throw away if we were not afraid that others might pick them up.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch. IV, P. 58) source

(This quote is also found in: The Collected Works of Oscar Wilde By Oscar Wilde, UK: Wordsworth Editions, 2007, Ch.4, P. 37) source

“The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast.” – Oscar Wilde

(Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime & Other Stories By Oscar Wilde, London: James R. Osgood, Mcilvaine And Co., 1891, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, A Study Of Duty, Ch.I, P. 20) source

(The quote is also found in: Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime & Other Stories By Oscar Wilde, UK: Read Books Ltd, 2017, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, A Study Of Duty, Ch. I) source

“…a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” – Oscar Wilde

(Intentions: The Decay Of Lying, Pen, Pencil And Poison, The Critic As Artist, The Truth Of Masks, New York: Brentano’s, 1905, The Critic As Artist: With Some Remarks Upon The Importance Of Discussing Everything, P. 216) source

(The quote is also found in: Intentions By Oscar Wilde, Italy: Youcanprint, 2017, The Critic As Artist Some Remarks Upon The Importance Of Discussing Everything) source

“Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation.” – Oscar Wilde

(A Woman Of No Importance By Oscar Wilde, Paris: Leonard Smithers, 1903, P. 80) source

(The quote is also found in: A Woman Of No Importance By Oscar Wilde, Auckland: The Floating Press, 2013, P. 57) source

“Men always want to be a woman’s first love. That is their clumsy vanity. We women have a more subtle instinct about things. What we like is to be a man’s last romance” – Oscar Wilde

(A Woman Of No Importance By Oscar Wilde, Paris: Leonard Smithers, 1903, Second Act, P. 50)

(The quote is also found in: The Plays Of Oscar Wilde By Oscar Wilde, UK: Wordsworth Editions, 2000, A Woman Of No Importance, Act Two, P. 237) source

“The Book of Life begins with a man and a woman in a garden.(…) It ends with Revelations.” – Oscar Wilde

(A Woman Of No Importance By Oscar Wilde, Paris: Leonard Smithers, 1903, First Act, P. 38) source

(The quote is also found in: A Woman Of No Importance By Oscar Wilde, ReadHowYouWant.com, 2008, First Act, P. 32) source

“One can survive everything nowadays, except death, and live down anything except a good reputation.” – Oscar Wilde

(A Woman Of No Importance By Oscar Wilde, Paris: Leonard Smithers, 1903, First Act; p.37) source

(The quote is also found in: A Woman Of No Importance By Oscar Wilde, ReadHowYouWant.com, 2008, First Act, P. 31) source

“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” – Oscar Wilde

(De Profundis By Oscar Wilde, New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1905, P. 63) source

(The quote is also found in: The Collected Works of Oscar Wilde: The Plays, The Poems, The Storis And The Essay Including De Profundis By Oscar Wilde, UK: Wordsworth Editions, 2007, De Profundis, P. 1084) source

“…consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative…” – Oscar Wilde

(Miscellanies By Oscar Wilde, LitRes, 2017, The Relation Of Dress To Art: A Note In Black And White On Mr.Whistler’s Lecture (Pall Mall Gazette, February 28, 1885) source

“A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal.” – Oscar Wilde

(Intentions: The Decay Of Lying, Pen, Pencil And Poison, The Critic As Artist, The Truth Of Masks, New York: Brentano’s, 1905, The critic As Artist: With Some Remarks Upon The Importance Of Discussing Everything, P. 190)

(The quote is also found in: Intentions By Oscar Wilde, Youcanprint, 2017, The critic As Artist Some Remarks Upon The Importance Of Discussing Everything) source

“I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself.” – Oscar Wilde

(An Ideal Husband By Oscar Wilde, Paris: Leonard Smithers And Company, 1899, First Act; p.49) source

(The quote is also found in: An Ideal Husband By Oscar Wilde, Massachusetts, US: Courier Corporation, 2012, Act I) source

“Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Sphinx Without a Secret By Oscar Wilde, New York: HarperCollins, 2014, An Etching) source

(The quote is also found here.)

“Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” – Oscar Wilde

(The quote is also found in: Intentions By Oscar Wilde, New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1905, The Critic As Artist With Some Remarks Upon The Importance Of Discussing Everything, P. 185) source

“We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Duchess Of Padua By Oscar Wilde, London: Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1907, Act V, P. 169) source

(The quote is also found in: The Collected Works Of Oscar Wilde: The Plays, The Poems, The Stories And The Essays Including De Profundis, United Kingdom: Wordsworth Edition Limited, 2007, The Duchess Of Padua, Act Five, P. 476) source

“One can resist everything except temptation.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Writings Of Oscar Wilde: Epigrams; Phrases And Philosophies. For The Young By Oscar Wilde, London/New York: A.R. Keller & Co. Inc., 1907, Oscariana, P. 58) source

(The quote is also found in: The Prose of Oscar Wilde By Oscar Wilde, New York: Cosimo, Inc., 2005, Oscariana, P. 629)

“I can resist everything except temptation.” – Oscar Wilde

(Lady Windermere’s Fan: A Play about a Good Woman By Oscar Wilde, Paris: L. Smithers, 1903, First Act, P. 11) source

(The quote is also found in: Lady Windermere’s Fan By Oscar Wilde, Australia: ReadHowYouWant.com, 2010, First Act, P. 11) source

“Each of us has heaven and hell in him…” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.XIII, P. 175) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House Inc, 2005, Ch.XIII, P. 133) source

“…passion for pleasure which is the secret of remaining young.” – Oscar Wilde

(Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime & Other Stories By Oscar Wilde, London: James R. Osgood, Mcilvaine And Co., 1891, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, A Study Of Duty, Ch.I, P. 5)

(The quote is also found in: Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime & Other Stories By Oscar Wilde, UK: Read Books Ltd, 2017, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, A Study Of Duty, Ch.I) source

“One should never trust a woman who tells one her real age. A woman who would tell one that would tell one anything.” – Oscar Wilde

(A Woman Of No Importance By Oscar Wilde, Paris: Leonard Smithers, 1903, First Act, P. 32) source

(The quote is also found in: A Woman Of No Importance By Oscar Wilde, Australia: ReadHowYouWant, 2008, First Act, P. 37) source

“I like men who have a future, and women who have a past.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.XV, P. 199) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, New York: Dover Publication, Inc, 2012, Ch.XV, P. 132) source

“Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Soul of Man Under Socialism By Oscar Wilde, With A Preface By Robert Ross, London: Arthur L. Humphreys, 1912, P. 88) source

(The quote is also found in: The Soul of Man Under Socialism And Selected Critical Prose By Oscar Wilde, Edited With An Introduction And Explanatory Notes By Linda Dowling, UK: Penguin, 2007, The Soul of Man Under Socialism (1891) source

“A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Soul Of Man Under Socialism By Oscar Wilde, With A Preface By Robert Ross, London: Arthur L. Humphreys, 1912, P. 88) source

(The quote is also found in: The Soul Of Man, and Prison Writings By Oscar Wilde, Edited By Isobel Murray, UK: Oxford University Press, 1999, The Soul of Man, P. 33) source

“Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes.” – Oscar Wilde

(Lady Windermere’s Fan: A Play About A Good Woman By Oscar Wilde, Paris: L. Smithers, 1903, Third Act, P. 96) source

(The quote is also found in: Lady Windermere’s Fan – A Play About A Good Woman By Oscar Wilde, UK: Read Books Ltd, 2017, Third Act) source

“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance…” – Oscar Wilde

(An Ideal Husband By Oscar Wilde, Paris: Leonard Smithers And Company, 1899, Third Act, P. 123) source

(The quote is also found in: An Ideal Husband By Oscar Wilde, Massachusetts, US: Courier Corporation, 2012, Act III) source

“The very essence of romance is uncertainty.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde, US: Walter H. Baker Company, 1920, Act I, P. 6) source

(The quote is also found in: The Importance Of Being Ernest By Oscar Wilde, Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House Inc, 2005, Act I, P. 15) source

“A man can be happy with any woman as long as he does not love her.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.XV, P. 199) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, US: Courier Corporation, 2012, Ch.XV, P. 132) source

“Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship.” – Oscar Wilde

(Lady Windermere’s Fan: A Play about a Good Woman By Oscar Wilde, Paris: L. Smithers, 1903, Second Act, P. 55) source

(The quote is also found in: Lady Windermere’s Fan – A Play About A Good Woman By Oscar Wilde, US: ReadHowYouWant, 2010, Second Act, P. 55) source

“I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.I, P. 15) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, US: Courier Corporation, 2012, Ch.I, P. 6) source

“Friendship is far more tragic than love. It lasts longer.” – Oscar Wilde

(Oscar Wilde – The Major Works By Oscar Wilde, Edited With An Introduction And Notes By Isobel Murray, Oxford University Press, UK, 2000, A Few Maxims For The Instruction Of The Over-Educated, P. 570)

(The quote is from a collection of maxims and aphorisms titled “A Few Maxims for the Instruction of the Over-Educated” by Oscar Wilde.) source

Note: It was first published anonymously in the November 17, 1894, issue of the Saturday Review: Of Politics, Literature, Science And Art. source

“In old days books were written by men of letters and read by the public. Nowadays books are written by the public and read by nobody.” – Oscar Wilde

(Oscar Wilde – The Major Works By Oscar Wilde, Edited With An Introduction And Notes By Isobel Murray, UK: Oxford University Press, 2000, A Few Maxims For The Instruction Of The Over-Educated, P. 570) source

(The quote is also found here.)

Note: It was first published anonymously in the November 17, 1894, issue of the Saturday Review: Of Politics, Literature, Science And Art. source

“The only thing that the artist cannot see is the obvious. The only thing that the public can see is the obvious. The result is the Criticism of the Journalist.” – Oscar Wilde

(The quote is also found here.)

Note: It was first published anonymously in the November 17, 1894, issue of the Saturday Review: Of Politics, Literature, Science And Art. source

“One can always be kind to people about whom one cares nothing.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.VIII, P. 112) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House Inc, 2005, Ch.VIII, P. 88) source

“As long as a woman can look ten years younger than her own daughter, she is perfectly satisfied” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.IV, P. 56) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House Inc, 2005, Ch.IV, P. 47) source

“It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible….” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.II, P. 29) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House Inc, 2005, Ch.II, P. 28) source

“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.II, P. 26) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House Inc, 2005, Ch.II, P. 25) source

“The secret of life is to resist temptation…” – Oscar Wilde

(A Woman Of No Importance By Oscar Wilde, Paris: Leonard Smithers, 1903, Third Act, P. 103)

(The quote is also found in: A Woman Of No Importance By Oscar Wilde, Sydney, Australia: ReadHowYouWant.com, 2008, Third Act, P. 86) source

“Humanity takes itself too seriously. It is the world’s original sin. If the cave-man had known how to laugh, History would have been different.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.III, P. 49) source

(The quote is also found in: Oscar Wilde – The Major Works By Oscar Wilde, Edited With An Introduction And Notes By Isobel Murray, Oxford University Press, UK, 2008, The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Ch.III, P. 78) source

“To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.XIX, P. 239) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House Inc, 2005, Ch.XIX, P. 181) source

“Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.VI, P. 84) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House Inc, 2005, Ch.VI, P. 68) source

“…there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.I, PP. 8-9) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Massachusetts, US: Courier Dover Publications, 2016, Ch.I, P. 4) source

“When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving one’s self, and one always ends by deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.IV, P. 61) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Massachusetts, US: Courier Dover Publications, 2016, Ch.IV, P. 59) source

“To define is to limit.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.XVII, P. 217) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Massachusetts, US: Courier Dover Publications, 2016, Ch.XVII, P. 218) source

“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.IV, P. 55) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Massachusetts, US: Courier Dover Publications, 2016, Ch.IV, P. 53) source

“Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship and it is far the best ending for one.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.I, PP.14-15)

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Massachusetts, US: Courier Dover Publications, 2016, Ch.I, P. 10) source

“Men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious: both are disappointed.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.IV, P. 55) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Massachusetts, US: Courier Dover Publications, 2016, Ch.IV, P. 54) source

“Religion? The fashionable substitute for Belief.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.XVII, P. 216) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Massachusetts, US: Courier Dover Publications, 2016, Ch.XVII, P. 218) source

“There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written That is all.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, The Preface, P. 5) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Edited With An Introduction By Luciana Pire, Italy: Giunti Editore, 2001, The Preface, P. 15)

“The reason we all like to think so well of others is that we are all afraid for ourselves. The basis of optimism is sheer terror.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.VI, P. 85) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House Inc, 2005, 2016, Ch.VI, P. 68) source

“You like everyone: that is to say, you are indifferent to everyone.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co. Ltd, 1891, Ch.I, P. 15) source

(The quote is also found in: The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde, Courier Dover Publications, 2016, Ch.I, P. 11) source

“One should always be a little improbable.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Writings Of Oscar Wilde: Epigrams; Phrases And Philosophies. For The Young By Oscar Wilde, London/New York: A.R. Keller & Co. Inc., 1907, Phrases And Philosophies, P. 143) source