To cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul!
Henry proposes a self-medicating loop: numb guilt with sensation, and polish sensation with ideas. It sounds balanced, but it’s a carousel—round and round without growth. For Dorian, this becomes a lifestyle: switch flavors of pleasure whenever conscience pricks. The paradox also mimics addiction’s logic—there’s always a reason to keep going. The promise of cure keeps him from seeking healing. Wilde shows how sophistication can disguise avoidance. The reader hears the elegance and senses the evasion.