I love Oscar Wilde for his ripostes at life and morals .

On his birthday, I have selected s few of my favourite ones.

Life is never fair . . . And perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.’ An Ideal Husband

‘To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.’ The Soul of Man Under Socialism

‘To realise one’s nature perfectly – that is what each of us is here for.’ The Picture of Dorian Gray

‘Nothing should be out of the reach of hope. Life is a hope.’ A Woman of No Importance

‘To win back my youth, Gerald, there is nothing I wouldn’t do – except take exercise, get up early, or be a useful member of the community.’ A Woman of No Importance

Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live. It is asking other people to live as one wishes to live.’ The Soul of Man Under Socialism

‘There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.’ The Picture of Dorian Gray

‘When the Gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.’ An Ideal Husband

“I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying.”
-The Happy Prince and Other Stories

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.”-Picture Of Dorian Grey

All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does, and that is his.”-The Importance of Being Earnest