Quote by Oscar Wilde
There is no such thing as a good influence. Because to influence a person is to give him one's own soul. He does not think his natural thoughts, or burn with his natural passions. His virtures are not real to him. His sins, if there are such thing as sins, are borrowed. He becomes an echo of someone else's music, an actor of a part that has not been written for him.
Summary
This quote suggests that influencing someone is not a positive act as it involves imparting one's own beliefs and thoughts onto another person. The individual being influenced loses their authenticity and no longer thinks and feels in their own genuine manner. Their virtues and even their sins become borrowed, making them mere imitations of someone else. In essence, this quote questions the concept of good influence by highlighting the loss of individuality and the lack of true ownership of one's actions when influenced by others.
By Oscar Wilde