Who Said It - George Bernard Shaw or Oscar Wilde? Quiz

Answer: George Bernard Shaw

The full quote is, "Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything". George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) was intimating that flexible thinking is fundamental to both personal growth and the progress of society. Shaw used his plays as vehicles for his views on social, political and religious issues.

Answer: Oscar Wilde

This quote is from an article, "The Children of the Poets", published in "The Pall Mall Gazette", a London evening newspaper (October 14, 1886). Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) is best known for his plays but he also wrote poetry. In 1881, he published an anthology of his poetry, simply entitled "Poems" (a rather uninspired title for such a clever and witty writer).

Unfortunately, it was not well received by the critics. The magazine "Punch" commented, "The poet is Wilde, but his poetry's tame".

Answer: George Bernard Shaw

Although this quote is generally attributed to George Bernard Shaw, its true source is actually unknown. The point of the quote is that it is futile to argue with obstinate people who thrive on drama and controversy because they are not able to be reasoned with. Instead you just lower yourself to their level. It is a saying that has certainly gained traction in recent times.

Answer: Oscar Wilde

This is a quote by Oscar Wilde about his contemporary George Bernard Shaw. Interestingly, they had a lot in common. Both were Irish playrights, born in Dublin, only 22 months apart, and within a 20-minute walk of each other's residence. History indicates that they were not close friends and only met a few times, but they were influenced by each other's works. Both were witty critics of Victorian society.

Answer: George Bernard Shaw

This quote is generally attributed to George Bernard Shaw but some literary historians claim it might originate with William H. Whyte (1917-1999), an American journalist and author. It means that simply talking is not enough to ensure true understanding.

Answer: Oscar Wilde

The source of this quote is, "The Epigrams of Oscar Wilde", edited by Alvin Redman (1954). Wilde's plays are replete with witticisms such as this one. Redman sourced many of Wilde's quotes from his essays, newspaper and magazine articles, and alleged conversations and memories, many of which were obtained from Wilde's son, Vyvyan Holland. Holland also proofread Redman's book, verified the authenticity of the quotes, and wrote the book's introduction.

Answer: George Bernard Shaw

Shaw reflected on the implicit hypocrisy of the Catholic Church's stance on issues relating to human sexuality. The quote suggests that, since the Pope is known to be celibate, he has no experience in these matters and should not be considered an authority. If he does have sexual experience, then it implies his morality is questionable, or he may have breached his vows, and therefore is unfit to judge the morality of others. Either way, he is not in a position to make pronouncements about sex.

Answer: Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde penned this quote in his play, "Lady Windermere's Fan" (1892). It is said by Lord Darlington in Act I. In this play, Wilde highlighted the hypocrisy of Victorian society, such as the fact that morality is not always unequivocal, appearances count for more than reality does, and women were judged much more harshly than men. Wilde was renowned for challenging Victorian society's conventions and morality in both his writings and his lifestyle.

Answer: George Bernard Shaw

This quote means that patriotism is more an accident of birth than a belief based on reasoning, intelligence, experience and/or history. This is a recurring theme in some of his works. For example, in one of his less well-known plays, "O'Flaherty V.C." (1915), which mocked the military and patriotism, Shaw wrote, "You'll never have a quiet world till you knock the patriotism out of the human race".

Answer: Oscar Wilde

The quote is derived from Wilde's most famous play, "The Importance of Being Earnest" (1895). The full quote is, "The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility!" It is said by Algernon in response to Jack's assertion that he is telling "the whole truth pure and simple".

The nature of truth is a recurring theme in Wilde's writings. For example, in an essay entitled "The Critic as Artist" (1891), Wilde asserted that "Truth, in the matters of religion, is simply the opinion that has survived".

Answer: George Bernard Shaw

The full quote is, "The English have no respect for their language, and will not teach their children to speak it. They cannot spell it because they have nothing to spell it with but an old foreign alphabet of which only the consonants - and not all of them - have any agreed speech value. Consequently no man can teach himself what it should sound like from reading it; and it is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman despise him."

George Bernard Shaw wrote this in his preface to "Pygmalion" (1912), from which the hit movie "My Fair Lady" was adapted. In his will, Shaw made a bequest to fund the creation of a new English alphabet with at least 40 letters to aid simplification of English spelling. His will, however, prompted a lengthy legal battle challenging its validity. It took almost 50 years to resolve and did not result in the fulfillment of Shaw's wishes. Instead the money went to British Museum (specifically the British Library), the National Gallery of Ireland, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

Answer: Oscar Wilde

Lord Goring said this in Act 1 of "An Ideal Husband" (1895). What more can one say? The best thing about advice, good or bad, is that it is usually free and you don't have to take it. Wilde seemed to have an aversion to advice. In the short story, "The Portrait of Mr W.H." (1889), Wilde wrote, "It is always a silly thing to give advice, but to give good advice is absolutely fatal".