Oscar Wilde · The Critic as Artist, 1891
“The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything — except genius.”
| Source | Oscar Wilde, “The Critic as Artist,” Intentions (1891) |
| Date | 1891 |
| Wording | Exact |
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About This Line
The line comes from “The Critic as Artist,” where Wilde’s sharpest verdicts arrive disguised as easy table talk. His claim: a crowd will forgive nearly anything except the person who sees further than it does — a truth he would learn firsthand.
Why We Carry This Line
Think about the geniuses in our current times. The ones who question. The ones who execute on ideas. The ones who get things done. And think of the lack of tolerance. Wilde is right. And why this made it to our site.
