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The aim of life is self-development. To realize one's nature perfectly—that is what each of us is here for. People are afraid of themselves, nowadays....more

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You come down here to console me. That is charming of you. You find me consoled, and you are furious. How like a sympathetic person!

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Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful t...more

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Art has no influence upon action. It annihilates the desire to act. It is superbly sterile. The books that the world calls immoral are books that show...more

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Or that passion to act a part that sometimes makes us do things finer than we are ourselves?

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The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.

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As for being poisoned by a book, there is no such thing as that. Art has no influence upon action. It annihilates the desire to act. It is superbly st...more

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What are American dry-goods? asked the duchess, raising her large hands in wonder and accentuating the verb.American novels, answered Lord Henry.

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The worst of it is that I am perpetually being punished for nothing; this governor loves to punish, and he punishes by taking my books away from me. I...more

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Wickedness is a myth invented by good people to account for the curious attractiveness of others.

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With slouch and swing around the ringWe trod the Fools’ Parade!We did not care: we knew we wereThe Devils’ Own Brigade:And shaven head and feet of lea...more

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A poet can survive everything but a misprint.

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It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.

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If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.

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