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151. Book Review | The Importance of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde

Recently, I decided to revisit The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde because it had been a while since I’d read it. And, I must say that I forgot how entertaining the book is. That’s why I recommend you listen and grab yourself a copy.

I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.

Oscar Wilde

I used this story for an old episode because the story shows the importance of using words properly. But, it isn’t some deep dive into the depths of the soul like Crime and Punishment. The Importance of Being Earnest is a clever look at the frivolity of high society in 19th century England, which I think would ring true today.

Get your copy of The Importance of Being Earnest

What I found amusing about this book is the commentary on high society. It mocks people who think highly of themselves despite not being able to think much at all. In fact, they mostly think of themselves. If you thought that was clever (although it wasn’t), this book is one that I think you’d enjoy. It’s clever, witty, insightful, light, and pleasant – basically a romantic comedy with a bit of bite.

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211. Elitism and Prideful Disdain | A Nasty Story by Fyordor Dostoevsky – Conversation of Our Generation

In Dostoevsky's Nasty Story, we follow the dreadful evening of a prideful bureaucrat. The story follows Ivan Ilyich Pralinsky, as he decides to crash his subordinate's wedding reception. His reason for doing so, whether he admits it or not, is his pride. And, that's what I want to discuss today: how elitism leads people to pride and a disdain for "common people." What is Elitism? Basically, elitism is the idea that a group of wealthy, powerful people deserve their wealth and power. Even if the elites are born into it, they still feel deserving. And, if they're deserving, then the common people they look down on did something to be undeserving. So, it turns out to create a sort of social, political, and financial caste system. The problem is, the self-proclaimed elites aren't always deserving of the praise they seek. So, it can go wrong for them. Humbling the Elites In the past, I've reviewed Dostoevsky's work, and discussed the neuroticism of his characters. Ivan Ilyich Pralinsky is no exception. Throughout this story, he has this inner dialogue where he'll be held up as a hero of the people. But, the story doesn't go the way he planned it. In the end, he is humbled terribly and it shows that the higher one holds himself up, the further he can fall. Pralinsky's elitist attitude blinded him from reality just as our elites are today. If you want to read it, you can find it for free here. For more book reviews and discussions like these, check out my library. For more on this, click here for the full episode and show notes to Elitism and Prideful Disdain. Subscribe to my podcast, wherever you listen, here>> — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/conofourgen/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/conofourgen/support
  1. 211. Elitism and Prideful Disdain | A Nasty Story by Fyordor Dostoevsky
  2. 210. Political Action and the Call to "Do Something"
  3. 209. Breaking the Rules of Philosophy
  4. 208. Failures of Modernity and Rationality
  5. 207. Was Lincoln a Good President?
  6. 206. What Is Distributism?
  7. 205. How to Criticize Government | Two Treatises on Government by John Locke
  8. 204. Defending Property Rights From Government and Big Tech
  9. 203. Why Christianity Is True | Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
  10. 202. Are Online Courses The Key to Education?

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