Back to Oscar Wilde, His Life and Confessions. Volume 2 (of 2)
From "Oscar Wilde, His Life and Confessions. Volume 2 (of 2)" by Harris, Frank
Oscar Wilde
A celebrated playwright and wit facing imprisonment.
Core Belief
"Art should be founded on pity, and a work without pity is shallow. He also believes in personal liberty and the pursuit of beauty."
Worldview
He sees the world as a stage for both joy and suffering, where beauty and pleasure are fleeting and often intertwined with pain and injustice. He yearns for a humane life but is haunted by his past.
Personality
Brilliant, charming, and humorous, but also sensitive, vain, and increasingly burdened by his past actions. He seeks pleasure and appreciation, but struggles with remorse and regret.
In Their Own Words
"It is you, Frank! always original! You come back to prison of your own free-will!"
"I've had a rest cure, Frank."
"I am a Greek born out of due time."
Discussions with Oscar Wilde
I'm naturally blunt, sarcastic, and unconventional. At home, with friends, I'm loud and opinionated. I curse freely. I challenge everything.
At work, I'm a different person. Polite, measured, careful. I laugh at jokes that aren't funny. I soften my opinions. I dress conservatively even though I hate it. I've been told I'm "professional" and "easy to work with."
I'm also exhausted.
My therapist says I'm living inauthentically and it's affecting my mental health. She wants me to "bring my whole self to work." But last month, a colleague who DID bring his whole self to work—including his tendency to speak bluntly—was put on a performance improvement plan for "communication issues."
My partner says the workplace persona IS authentic—it's who I am when I'm being considerate of others in a professional context. "You're not fake; you're adaptable."
But I don't know where the adaptation ends and the erasure begins. Am I showing respect for others by conforming, or losing myself to gain their approval?
— The Office Chameleon in Chicago8 messagesDiscuss Oscar Wilde, His Life and Confessions. Volume 2 (of 2)0 messages
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