To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.
Oscar Wilde The Soul of Man Under Socialism (1891)
Source checked by an editor
When and why it was written
- When
- Published in the Fortnightly Review in February 1891.
- Why
- Wilde was arguing that most people's lives are consumed by property and obligation, leaving no room for the self.
What it means
Wilde is drawing a hard line between two verbs. Existing is passive continuation; living requires the deliberate development of a self.
In the essay this is an economic argument as much as an aesthetic one. He thought the conditions of ordinary work made the second verb unavailable to almost everyone, which is why the essay is about socialism and not manners.
Read the source
The Soul of Man Under Socialism, 1891
Book links go to Amazon. Affiliate disclosure.
Your turn
What does this bring up for you?
Saved to this device only. Nothing is sent to a server.