Vidal’s Law
Gore Vidal
It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.
Wilde’s Other Laws
Oscar Wilde
A little sincerity is a dangerous thing and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal (The Critic as Artist 1891).
There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about (The Picture of Dorian Gray 1891).
A man cannot be too careful in his choice of enemies (Ibid.).
The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it (Ibid.).
If one tells the truth, one is sure sooner or later to be found out (Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young 1894).
All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his (Ibid.).
In matters of great importance, style not sincerity is the vital thing (Ibid.).
