When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is.
Wilde's wit here operates at two levels—the surface reading condemns materialism, but the deeper joke cuts far sharper: he's admitting that his youthful idealism about money's unimportance was itself a luxury, one only the privileged can afford. The sting lies not in greed but in honesty about self-deception; we tell ourselves money doesn't matter until we face rent, medical bills, or our children's education. What saves this from mere cynicism is Wilde's refusal to moralize—he doesn't say money *should* matter less, only that pretending it doesn't matter is a performance we can only sustain when we have enough of it.
“Chase the vision, not the money; the money will end up following you.”
Tony Hsieh“It's not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.”
Seneca“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.”
Ayn Rand“Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want to impress people they...”
Will Rogers