“You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you have never had the courage to commit.”
- 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.
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Quote
“You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you have never had the courage to commit.”
Explanation
In this quote, Oscar Wilde plays with the concept of forbidden desires and the unexpressed yearnings that people may harbor but never act upon. He suggests that his character represents the unrealized or hidden aspects of the other person’s personality—the sins, or in broader terms, the impulses and desires that they repress or are too afraid to pursue. By stating that the other person will always be fond of him, Wilde implies that the allure of these repressed desires will always be present, and the attraction lies in the freedom and boldness to act on what the other person may have only thought about but never dared to do.
Wilde’s remark speaks to the moral conflict between societal expectations and individual desires. The speaker in the quote represents a kind of dangerous allure, an embodiment of the self-indulgence or recklessness that the other person may wish they could express, but feel restrained from doing so because of social norms, moral codes, or personal inhibitions. It reflects Wilde’s fascination with individuality and the complexity of human nature, where people often feel attracted to the things they have been taught to fear or condemn.
In modern contexts, this quote invites us to think about the hidden sides of our personalities—those desires, impulses, or actions that we may never act on, but still hold an undeniable attraction. It speaks to the tension between morality and desire, suggesting that our repressed urges can often be more enticing than the actions we are encouraged to follow. Wilde’s words highlight how forbidden or taboo aspects of human nature are often a source of fascination, and how those unacted-upon desires can create a deep emotional pull or connection to the person who embodies them.
