Quotes from An Ideal Husband

“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people we personally dislike.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“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, quote from An Ideal Husband

“It takes great deal of courage to see the world in all its tainted glory, and still to love it.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“When the Gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“Ah! The strength of women comes from the fact that psychology cannot explain us. Men can be analyzed, women...merely adored.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“It takes great courage to see the world in all its tainted glory, and still to love it. And even more courage to see it in the one you love”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“The error all women commit. Why can’t you women love us, faults
and all? Why do you place us on monstrous pedestals? We have all feet of
clay, women as well as men; but when we men love women, we love them
knowing their weaknesses, their follies, their imperfections, love them all
the more, it may be, for that reason. It is not the perfect, but the imperfect,
who have need of love. It is when we are wounded by our own hands,
or by the hands of others, that love should come to cure us – else what use
is love at all? All sins, except a sin against itself, Love should forgive. All
lives, save loveless lives, true Love should pardon. A man’s love is like that.
It is wider, larger, more human than a woman’s. Women think that they
are making ideals of men. What they are making of us are false idols
merely. You made your false idol of me, and I had not the courage to
come down, show you my wounds, tell you my weaknesses. I was afraid
that I might lose your love, as I have lost it now.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“I analyzed you, though you did not adore me.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“Other people are quite dreadful. The only possible society is oneself.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“Women have a wonderful instinct about things. They can discover everything except the obvious.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“Fashion is what one wears oneself. What is unfashionable is what other people wear.
Just as vulgarity is simply the conduct of other people.
And falsehoods the truths of other people.
Other people are quite dreadful. The only possible society is oneself.
To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“Questions are never indiscreet. Answers sometimes are.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“this woman is a genius in the day time and a beauty at night”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“If people are dishonest once, they will be dishonest a second time. And honest people should keep away from them. (Lady Chiltern)”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“All sins, except a sin against itself, Love should forgive. All lives, save loveless lives, true Love should pardon.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“You silly Arthur! If you knew anything about...anything, which you don't, you would know that I adore you. Everyone in London knows it except you. It is a public scandal the way I adore you. I have been going about for the last six months telling the whole of society that I adore you. I wonder you consent to have anything to say to me. I have no character left at all. At least, I feel so happy that I am quite sure I have no character left at all.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“The world seemed to me fine because you were in it, and goodness more real because you lived.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“Never mind what I say. I am always saying what I shouldn't say. In fact, I usually say what I really think. A great mistake nowadays. It makes one so liable to be misunderstood.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“You are Beautiful when you are happy”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“In the old days men had the rack. Now they have the Press.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“He is fond of being misunderstood. It gives him a post of vantage.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“Even you are not rich enough, Sir Robert, to buy back your past. No man is”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“You have never been poor, and never known what ambition is.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“I like looking at geniuses and listening to beautiful people.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“Then I am sorry I did not stay away longer I like being missed.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

“It can never be necessary to do what is not honourable.”
― Oscar Wilde, quote from An Ideal Husband

About the author

Popular quotes

“He'd had his career, his triumphs. Success had brought him nothing but misery; he couldn't handle it. Success had thrown him in the gutter”
― John Grisham, quote from The Testament

“I can feel that photo of Anna staring at me from sixty years ago, and I can’t help myself from wanting to protect her, wanting to save her from becoming what she already is.”
― Kendare Blake, quote from Anna Dressed in Blood

“Isn't that what stories do, make real things fake, and fake things real?”
― Marie Rutkoski, quote from The Winner's Curse

“Welcome,” said the magus. “Would you like some dried beef, some dried beef, or some dried beef for lunch?” “Oh, I’ll take stuffed pigeons in sauce, thank you, and some decent wine to drink. None of that cheap stuff, please.” The magus handed me an almost empty paper package of dried beef and half of a loaf of bread. “Enjoy your meal,” he said.”
― Megan Whalen Turner, quote from The Thief

“People often say they don't dream, when it's more accurate to say that they don't remember their dreams. It gets under our skin, Kay. All of it does. We just manage to cage in most of the emotions so they don't devour us.”
― Patricia Cornwell, quote from Postmortem

Interesting books

About BookQuoters

BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.

We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.

Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.