"Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everyone in good society holds exactly the same opinion"

Oscar Wilde’s satirical observation, “Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everyone in good society holds exactly the same opinion,” serves as a witty critique of social conformity, decorum, and the suppression of authentic debate among those who wish to be seen as part of “good society.” Beneath the comedic surface lies a sharp commentary on how societal norms dictate not only manners but also thought, reducing genuine discussion to a kind of social faux pas. Wilde’s word choice, labeling arguments as “vulgar,” sharply contrasts the expectation that spirited discourse is a sign of intellectual engagement. Instead, in elite circles, debate is rebranded as low, inappropriate conduct, something that threatens the fragile unity of the group.

The latter part, “everyone in good society holds exactly the same opinion,” drips with irony. Wilde points to the expectation of homogeneity in high society, a place supposedly filled with individuals of discernment, yet where original or divergent thinking is discouraged, if not outright ignored. The implication is that to belong, one must at least outwardly accept dominant views, perhaps concealing private disagreements for fear of exclusion or being seen as unsophisticated. The ritual of agreement becomes a mark of belonging, a passport into the circles where disagreement is equated with lack of breeding or education.

Wilde’s remark exposes the subtle mechanisms of social control: the moral pressure to conform, the unspoken codes that govern polite company, and the suppression of individual perspective. In “good society,” peace is manufactured through consensus, not through lively exchange. Disagreement is repackaged as bad taste. Thus, real debate, argument in its truest form, where conviction seeks expression and understanding, is lost. Wilde mocks the smugness of such uniformity, suggesting that true civility does not require conformity, and that disagreement, far from being vulgar, is a necessary ingredient of genuine intellectual society.