Who said “Always forgive your enemies -- nothing annoys them so much.”?

Misattributed

Not Oscar Wilde. It's commonly credited to them, but the evidence shows it isn't theirs.

What the research foundNot by Oscar Wilde. Earliest known source: Percy Colson, The Sketch (1949).

Evidence: Quote Investigator · Wikiquote · How we check

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APA

“Always forgive your enemies -- nothing annoys them so much.” [Quotation attributed to Oscar Wilde]. (n.d.). Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/5481-always-forgive-your-enemies-nothing-annoys-them-so/

MLA

“Always forgive your enemies -- nothing annoys them so much.” Attributed to Oscar Wilde. Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/5481-always-forgive-your-enemies-nothing-annoys-them-so/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

“Always forgive your enemies -- nothing annoys them so much.” Attributed to Oscar Wilde. Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/5481-always-forgive-your-enemies-nothing-annoys-them-so/.

Related quotes

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
Verified"Interview to the Press" in Karachi about the execution of Bhagat Singh (23 March 1931); published in Young India (2 April 1931), reprinted in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi Online Vol. 51. · evidenceDetails & citeForgiveness
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