We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan

Literature

Why it matters

The idea in context

This is Lord Darlington in Wilde's 1892 play Lady Windermere's Fan. The line is classic Wilde: morally bruised, socially elegant, and still looking upward. It refuses purity as a condition for hope.

Türkçe

Aynı kart, başka bir dilde.

Hepimiz bataktayız, ama kimimiz yıldızlara bakıyor.
Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere'in Yelpazesi

Bu söz Wilde'ın 1892 tarihli oyunu Lady Windermere'in Yelpazesi'nde Lord Darlington tarafından söylenir. Tam bir Wilde cümlesidir: ahlaken yaralı, toplumsal olarak zarif ve yine de yukarı bakan. Umut için kusursuz olmayı şart koşmaz.

Source trail

Read beyond the card.

Batch 2026-07-05 (reviewed): verified to Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan.

Background reading: Oscar WildeAttribution and context are revised when stronger evidence appears. Corrections are welcome through the editorial page.
Next in the open archiveI took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart: I am, I am, I am.Q0163