“If you pretend to be good, the world takes you very seriously. If you pretend to be bad, it doesn’t. Such is the astounding stupidity of optimism.”
- October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900
- Irish
- Author, poet, playwright
- Written novels, plays, and poems such as “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” “The Importance of Being Earnest,” and “Salome,” he had a great influence on British literature in the late 19th century through his witty social criticism and humor.
Quote
“If you pretend to be good, the world takes you very seriously. If you pretend to be bad, it doesn’t. Such is the astounding stupidity of optimism.”
Explanation
In this quote, Oscar Wilde critiques the contradictions in how society perceives morality and behavior. He suggests that when a person pretends to be good, society tends to take them seriously, often attributing virtue or honor to their actions, even if they are merely pretending. On the other hand, if someone pretends to be bad, society dismisses them, likely considering their actions as rebellious or counterproductive, rather than seriously engaging with them. Wilde’s use of the phrase “astounding stupidity of optimism” reflects his cynicism about the world’s ability to understand true moral complexity.
The quote underscores Wilde’s belief that society is overly focused on appearances and simplified notions of good and bad, failing to recognize the deeper truths or motivations behind people’s actions. He is critiquing the optimistic tendency to idealize goodness while underestimating or misunderstanding the complexity of rebellion or nonconformity. Wilde’s words point out that society often operates on surface-level judgments, and optimism—in the form of rigid, black-and-white thinking—limits its ability to see beyond these conventional boundaries.
In modern contexts, this quote can be understood as a critique of societal expectations and the simplistic view of morality that often governs how we assess others. Wilde encourages us to look beyond the facade of goodness and the dismissal of those who reject conventional norms, urging a more nuanced and critical view of human behavior. His words remind us that true understanding of people comes not from accepting surface-level impressions, but from recognizing complexity and rejecting simplistic moral binaries.
