What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

About Oscar Wilde

Portrait of Oscar Wilde

Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential dramatists in London in the early 1890s. He was a key figure in...

More quotations from Oscar Wilde

Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes.

Civilization is built on a number of ultimate principles… respect for human life, the punishment of crimes against property and persons, the equality of all good citizens before the law… or, in a word justice.

It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.

A dinner lubricates business.

Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong.

More quotations tagged with “cynicism”

No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up.

Cynicism is an unpleasant way of saying the truth.

—Lillian Hellman

The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.

—George Bernard Shaw

The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly', meaning 'many', and the word 'ticks', meaning 'blood sucking parasites'.

—Larry Hardiman

politics humor cynicism

Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it.… It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.

love cynicism risk effort fighting subversiveness

History

11 Jul 2015 Added