Oscar Wilde Quote

“Imagination is a quality given a man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is.” Oscar Wilde

Have you ever read this quote before? I have read Oscar Wilde in the past and he has written some great quotes to make you think. Years ago I went to see his play at the theatre ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ and it was really funny and very good.

Anyway, I really love this quote. Isn’t it true that we all have an imagination and we can think and dream and long for stuff that has never happened to us?

I was sitting on the grass today in the sun in town having a coffee and talking to a friend. Around us were people having late lunch breaks and students relaxing from lectures. It made me think at the time of the life that hopefully, my son will have very soon. He’s going to college and University and he has his whole life in front of him. He will be able to sit on the grass with his new friends, study and socialize, learn and have fun. It’s great isn’t it to think about what the future could possibly hold for your kids. And then it made me think about this quote.

I have a vivid imagination to compensate for what I’m not. Do you? Do you still have dreams? Are there things in life that you still want to do? Do you have any regrets? I have many! And yet, a sense of humor is provided, if we are lucky enough to have one, to console our weary regrets for what we have not achieved in our lives, up to now.

It’s easy to get bogged down with feelings of inadequacy and regret for what we wanted to achieve when we were younger, but through circumstances sometimes beyond our control, we may have never got there. So in a way the only thing we can do is laugh it off, hope for the best, look to the future, make changes, if we are able, and keep smiling.

To look at the funny parts of life and to giggle is the best feel-good therapy. What can we possibly do to change the past?  Nothing at all. Time is just wasted thinking and worrying about what could have been, and I’ve learned this over the past few years the hard way. The best thing to do is to try and laugh every day.

That’s why Oscar Wilde’s quote rings very true. “Imagination is a quality given a man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is.”