It is a sad thing to think of, but there is no doubt that genius lasts longer than beauty. That accounts for the fact that we all take such pains to over-educate ourselves. In the wild struggle for existence, we want to have something that endures, and so we fill our minds with rubbish and facts, in the silly hope of keeping our place. The thoroughly well-informed man—that is the modern ideal. And the mind of the thoroughly well-informed man is a dreadful thing. It is like a bric-a-brac shop, all monsters and dust, with everything priced above its proper value.

It is a sad thing to think of, but there is no doubt that genius lasts longer than beauty. That accounts for the fact that we all take such pains to over-educate ourselves. In the wild struggle for existence, we want to have something that endures, and so we fill our minds with rubbish and facts, in the silly hope of keeping our place. The thoroughly well-informed man—that is the modern ideal. And the mind of the thoroughly well-informed man is a dreadful thing. It is like a bric-a-brac shop, all monsters and dust, with everything priced above its proper value.

📖 Oscar Wilde

🌍 Irish  |  👨‍💼 Poet

🎂 October 16, 1854  –  ⚰️ November 30, 1900
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Oscar Wilde's reflection encapsulates a profound critique of societal values and our obsession with knowledge and appearances. Our culture often elevates superficial beauty to an esteemed position, yet Wilde astutely points out that genius—an innate brilliance or authentic talent—tends to have a longer-lasting impact on history and individual significance. This acknowledgment drives our relentless pursuit of intellectual overachievement, sometimes at the expense of genuine understanding or wisdom. Wilde paints a vivid picture of the modern well-informed person as a chaotic, cluttered shop—full of baseless facts, trivial details, and misplaced priorities—placing more value on quantity of knowledge than on its quality or relevance. This critique resonates today in an era dominated by information overload, where social media, rapid news cycles, and constant updates foster a mindset saturated with trivia rather than meaningful insight. Wilde's commentary serves as a reminder that true value often resides beyond superficial metrics—be it beauty or accumulated facts—and that authentic genius or wisdom has a timeless quality that superficial knowledge cannot replicate. In our pursuit of societal status, we might neglect the cultivation of true talent or original thought, cluttering our minds with distractions that diminish its clarity and potential. Wilde's insights challenge us to introspect on what we truly seek in our pursuits—transient superficiality or enduring substance—and encourage a reassessment of our priorities in the quest for lasting value.

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June 22, 2025

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