That seems like a good idea, but I’m pretty sure that Oscar Wilde didn’t at all intend the quote to mean that. Rationality quotes is not an excuse for quote mining and proof-texting.
It doesn’t take much context to guess at the original meaning- Oscar Wilde was a pretty cynical individual. Given that data point what do you think it means?
His comment is that humans are terrible, treacherous, disloyal scum. The only difference between the friend and the non-friend is that the friend might tell you when he’s harming you whereas the non-friend won’t even bother telling you.
That seems like a good idea, but I’m pretty sure that Oscar Wilde didn’t at all intend the quote to mean that. Rationality quotes is not an excuse for quote mining and proof-texting.
So, what do you think he meant?
I tend to judge quotes on their own merit. I thought that was the point. Do people usually look up detailed contextual information about them?
It doesn’t take much context to guess at the original meaning- Oscar Wilde was a pretty cynical individual. Given that data point what do you think it means?
I’ve tried and failed to come up with any reasonable interpretation other than my own. Please frontstab me.
His comment is that humans are terrible, treacherous, disloyal scum. The only difference between the friend and the non-friend is that the friend might tell you when he’s harming you whereas the non-friend won’t even bother telling you.