Meaning Of This Quote, Please!?

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Meaning Of This Quote, Please!?

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Could anyone please tell me the meaning of this quote of O. Wilde:

Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow.

Thanks!

Aug 03 2007 02:50:35

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Ever tell a joke or attempt to encite laughter by talking about something taboo or edgy. I am sure Oscar Wilde has many times. I have a feeling he has been like me frustrated by the people that can't understand or handle laughing at themselves. I wouldn't doubt this or something similar being the inspiration behind these famous words.

Jul 03 2011 21:29:31

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It means that the only way to get deep into a topic is to take it seriously. Shallow people just jump from topic to topic and don't dig deeper.

Jun 02 2020 18:31:28

anonymousIt means that the only way to get deep into a topic is to take it seriously. Shallow people just jump from topic to topic and don't dig deeper.

No. Wilde played on Samuel Johnson's famous aphorism of the previous century "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." The shallow here stand in for the scoundrel. You could say it is the inverse of "Sense of humor is the mark of intelligence."

Jun 02 2020 19:45:41

Those who are shallow or less intelligent can't think fast enough to be witty in a conversation...they hide their shortcomings behind a facade of seriousness

Dec 27 2020 20:11:32

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the shallow can only find refuge in seriousness

May 31 2023 13:30:42

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Ever tell a joke or attempt to encite laughter by talking about something taboo or edgy. I am sure Oscar Wilde has many times. I have a feeling he has been like me frustrated by the people that can't understand or handle laughing at themselves. I wouldn't doubt this or something similar being the inspiration behind these famous words.
It means that the only way to get deep into a topic is to take it seriously. Shallow people just jump from topic to topic and don't dig deeper.
anonymousIt means that the only way to get deep into a topic is to take it seriously. Shallow people just jump from topic to topic and don't dig deeper.
No. Wilde played on Samuel Johnson's famous aphorism of the previous century "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." The shallow here stand in for the scoundrel. You could say it is the inverse of "Sense of humor is the mark of intelligence."
Those who are shallow or less intelligent can't think fast enough to be witty in a conversation...they hide their shortcomings behind a facade of seriousness

Philip · Accepted Answer · 2007-08-03T3:19

Summer3Could anyone please tell me the meaning of this quote of O. Wilde:

Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow.

Thanks!

shallow = not very intelligent

refuge = safety

For those who are not very intelligent, pretending to be so is their only hope.

(My take: I'll be interested in seeing other peoples' interpretations.)

CalifJim · Accepted Answer · 2007-08-03T6:07

The only way you might be able to deceive others into believing that you have great insight (even though your ideas are quite commonplace) is if you express yourself in a very serious way.

CJ

Meaning Of This Quote, Please!?

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