"In all unimportant matters, style, not sincerity,..." - Quote by Oscar Wilde
In all unimportant matters, style, not sincerity, is the essential. In all important matters, style, not sincerity, is the essential.
More by Oscar Wilde
“Art creates an incomparable and unique effect, and, having done so, passes on to other things. Nature, upon the other hand, forgetting that that imitation can be made the sincerest form of insult, keeps on repeating this effect until we all become absolutely wearied of it.”
“I must say to myself that I ruined myself, and that nobody great or small can be ruined except by his own hand. I am quite ready to say so. ... Terrible as was what the world did to me, what I did to myself was far more terrible still.”
“Rich bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others.”
More on Style
“Style is the physiognomy of the mind. It is more infallible than that of the body. To imitate the style of another is said to be wearing a mask. However beautiful it may be, it is through its lifelessness insipid and intolerable, so that even the most ugly living face is more engaging.”
“He who has nothing to assert has no style and can have none: he who has something to assert will go as far in power of style as its momentousness and his conviction will carry him”
“Digression is the soul of wit.”
More on Sincerity
“Did ever a man try heroism, magnanimity, truth, sincerity, and find that there was no advantage in them - that it was a vain endeavor?”
“None will be able to resist truth and love and sincerity. Are you sincere? Unselfish even unto death, and loving? Then fear not, not even death.”
“Sincerity and truth are the basis of every virtue.”