Words of Wisdom — September 30, 2014

Oscar Wilde on Triviality

“It is a curious fact that people are never so trivial as when they take themselves seriously.”

Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900) was an Irish writer best known for his masterpiece play The Importance of Being Earnest, as well as the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde is also famous for the persecution he faced from his contemporaries with regard to his homosexuality. After a public feud in 1895 with the Marquess of Queensberry led to numerous revelations, Wilde was convicted of gross indecency and imprisoned for two years. Upon his release, Wilde fled to France where he died of meningitis at the young age of 46.

“It is a curious fact that people are never so trivial as when they take themselves seriously.”

-Oscar Wilde

In the clip below, actor and comedian Stephen Fry reflects on Wilde’s influence on his life and work, from his Big Think interview:

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Thinking

The great free will debate featuring Michio Kaku and Steven Pinker

Who — or what — really controls your mind?

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The Past

The largest accidental explosion of all time

More than a century ago, Halifax suffered an accidental blast one-fifth the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

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6 great books with wildly unreliable narrators

Dive into the twisted truths and concealed realities told by literature’s most unreliable narrators.

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The Well

Signs you’re burned out — and how to bounce back

If you don’t feel better after the weekend, the “burnout paradox” could explain why.

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7 min

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with

Laurie Santos

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