Today was Oscar Wilde’s birthday, in 1854. A remarkable wit and commentator, Mr. Wilde’s target was the limited thinking that led to British complacency, a sense of privilege and superiority that he felt could use some serious re-examination, on every level.

He was Stylish and demanding. Many of his contemporaries found him distinctly unsettling. Today many people find his work confusing, given the byplay of ideas, one against another.

He is often quoted, but Rhinos like this: “True friends stab you in the front.”