Quote by Oscar Wilde
There was something terribly enthralling in the exercise of influence. No other activity was like it. To project one's soul into some gracious form, and let it tarry there for a moment; to hear one's own intellectual views echoed back to one with all the added music of passion and youth; to convey one's temperament into another as though it were a subtle fluid or a strange perfume: there was a real joy in that--perhaps the most satisfying joy left to us in an age so limited and vulgar as our own, an age grossly carnal in its pleasures, and grossly common in its aims....
Summary
This quote expresses the allure and satisfaction that comes with having influence over others. The speaker finds a unique thrill in the ability to project their ideas and personality onto someone else, even if it is only temporary. Hearing their own thoughts echoed back with the added intensity of someone else's passion and youth enhances this joy. The quote also subtly critiques the limitations and vulgarity of the contemporary age, highlighting the rarity of finding such gratification in a society that focuses on superficial pleasures and common aspirations.
Topics
Influence
By Oscar Wilde
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