“Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault.”
– Oscar Wilde
“Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.”
– Oscar Wilde
These particular aphorisms that Oscar Wilde crafted complement one another by challenging the kind of life one will live based on their viewpoints in life. Particularly the beautiful things in life. Wilde’s aphorisms are not only relevant to the world of art but also to people’s daily lives. The first aphorism captures the qualities of a corrupt being who can’t see past all the negative, while the second aphorism captures the qualities of a cultivated being who embraces optimism. I agree with the aphorisms because if someone can see the good in the world, they can also pass on that outlook to others. And I agree, cultivated people tend to be less dense in comparison to the ones who are “corrupt,” because they are still able to look beyond the surface and find beauty in the beautiful things this world has to offer. Regardless of what is going on in their personal life. The cultivated choose to set their other matters aside and take the time to appreciate life, even if it is ever so slightly. It’s because they care and that is why there is hope for them. But when it comes to the ones who can only find ugliness in beauty, it is seen as a fault or something wrong with them. And that is true, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t change.
“Life is what you make it,” said Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady of the United States. Roosevelt’s inspirational quote is what correlated with Wilde’s aphorism the most. It is true because all individuals have a choice, and that is to be miserable or make the most out of what they have. Roosevelt’s intended purpose of this quote was in an inspirational sense to motivate individuals who are having hard times that it doesn’t always have to be so bad and that they have the power to make the change themselves. Wilde’s aphorisms and Roosevelt’s famous quote are similar in a sense because they both share situations that involve a cause and effect. Specifically to the second aphorism, if one is capable of not having a superficial outlook they are cultivated and that there is hope for them. While if one can’t find any beauty in the world, it is an issue that lies within themselves.
Wilde’s aphorisms share an important value as they hold a great life lesson embedded within. The utilization of aphorisms throughout The Picture of Dorian Gray helped Wilde establish a deeper connection between the reader and the characters. And that goes back to the second aphorism because both instances share the same algorithm and that’s only one example of how relatable the aphorisms are to reality.
I didn’t really understand what theses aphorisms were saying at first but after reading your post it really helped me understanding them. I agree with you that the two complement each other because Wilde wrote them to stand as opposite to each other. I loved your example with the quote and how you related it back to the aphorisms. Some people choose to see bad which makes them at fault with their selves while those who choose to see good are often the ones who believe in their selves and have hope. I like how you made a connection of the book back to Wilde aphorisms.