A multicolored jester's cap with gold bells rests on a burgundy velvet cushion.

Original artwork, not a still

Oscar Wilde

Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker inverts a common assumption: gravity is not proof of depth but a hiding place for those lacking it. The quip is witty and provocative, suggesting that solemn faces can be a form of cover, while lightness takes real confidence.

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