2 quotations linked to The Soul of Man under Socialism by or associated with Oscar Wilde, with source notes, explanations and related topics.
Use these links when you want to inspect the wording in its wider work or edition.
“It is not selfish to think for oneself.”
Independent thought is distinguished from selfishness: forming one’s own judgment can protect individuality without requiring indifference to other people.
Source note: The Soul of Man under Socialism; Wilde defends individual thought while criticizing social pressure that mistakes conformity for moral virtue.
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
Wilde separates deliberate individual living from merely passing through existence, making self-realization and chosen purpose part of what it means to live fully.
Source note: The Soul of Man under Socialism; Wilde develops individualism as the freedom to form a life from within rather than conform to social expectation.