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About this quote

What does it mean?
Common sense can be a slow death, while mistakes are the only things we never regret.
In plain terms
Ordinary thinking can kill us, but mistakes are never regretted.
What can you take from it?
Embrace mistakes as learning, not fear common sense.

Where it applies

  • career choices
  • personal growth

Putting it to work

  • accept failure
  • avoid over‑analysis

Questions to consider

  • Do I avoid risks because of common sense?
  • What mistakes have I truly learned from?

Another view

Sometimes common sense prevents dangerous folly.

More from Oscar Wilde

  1. The advantage of the emotions is that they lead us astray:

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  2. Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

    Permalink to quote #76
  3. I always like to know everything about my new friends, and nothing about my old ones.

    Permalink to quote #73

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