Oscar Wilde on Worshipping Wealth
on Tuesday, June 17, 2014Oscar Wilde Money Quotation saying almost angrily that we revere wealth above all and that success comes to those most worshipful of riches. Oscar Wilde said:
“Every man of ambition has to fight his century with its own weapons. What this century worships is wealth. The God of this century is wealth. To succeed one must have wealth. At all costs one must have wealth” — Oscar Wilde
In this quote, Oscar Wilde is making the observation that in his century (the late 19th century), wealth and material success were highly valued and prioritized. He suggests that any ambitious man who wants to achieve success and make an impact must acknowledge that wealth is what society most worships and admires at that time.
Wilde states that the prevailing god or highest ideal of the era is wealth. Therefore, according to Wilde, if one truly wants to succeed and accomplish their ambitions, accumulating wealth through whatever means necessary is essentially a requirement or prerequisite to do so in that period of history. The quote portrays wealth as being central to success and achievement in Wilde’s society.
Birthday: October 16, 1854 – Death: November 30, 1900