Oscar Wilde quotes
1854 – 1900 · Late Victorian era, 19th century · Writer, poet and playwright
About Oscar Wilde
Born in Dublin and famed in London for his dazzling conversation and sharp critiques of Victorian morals, Wilde produced a novel and several witty comedies that combine aesthetic theory, irony and questions of individuality. His plays and essays secure his place in late-19th-century letters.
Works: The Picture of Dorian Gray; Lady Windermere’s Fan; An Ideal Husband
Quotes
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
MisattributedWhat we know
- What is documented
- Quotation research finds no substantive evidence Wilde authored the sentence; the earliest clear matches appear decades after his death.
- What remains uncertain
- The saying is widely treated as apocryphal: it was later attached to Wilde because its tone resembles his, but no primary source confirms authorship.
This line captures the compact appeal of authenticity: a sharp reminder that individuality matters more than imitation. Its pithy form — short, memorable, gently witty — packages a self-help idea into an epigram that sticks in the mind and nudges people toward being original.