Mark Twain? Albert Bigelow Paine? Caroline Thomas Harnsberger? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A famous author once suggested that humankind was not generating any genuinely new ideas. The author illustrated this viewpoint via a clever simile. Ideas were like pieces of colored glass in a kaleidoscope. The ideas which appeared to be new were only configurations …
Tag Archives: Albert Bigelow Paine
When I Was Younger, I Could Remember Anything, Whether It Had Happened or Not
Mark Twain? Albert Bigelow Paine? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Mark Twain formulated a wonderful expression about the fallibility of memory as one grows older. Here is the beginning of his humorous saying: When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not. My own memory may be failing because I think …
Continue reading “When I Was Younger, I Could Remember Anything, Whether It Had Happened or Not”
The Best Way to Cheer Yourself Is to Try to Cheer Somebody Else Up
Mark Twain? Albert Bigelow Paine? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: While watching a television show recently I heard the following saying credited to Mark Twain: The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer somebody else up. The writers of television series sometimes sacrifice accuracy to enable more colorful story-telling. Is this quotation really from …
Continue reading “The Best Way to Cheer Yourself Is to Try to Cheer Somebody Else Up”