Oscar Wilde · Pall Mall Gazette, 1885
“Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.”
| Source | Oscar Wilde, “The Relation of Dress to Art,” Pall Mall Gazette (1885) |
| Date | 1885 |
| Wording | Exact |
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About This Line
Wilde wrote it in an art review, of all places, to defend the freedom to change your mind — and to needle a society that mistook rigidity for virtue. In his hands, being consistent isn’t principle; it’s a failure of imagination.
Why We Carry This Line
Permission to change your mind, from the man who made a career of it. I change my mind frequently when good information helps me see differently. And sometimes, just because. I wanted a reminder somewhere I’d see it.
