Quote Investigator® – Tracing Quotations

Quote Origin: If I Wanted to Write, I Had To Be Willing To Develop a Kind of Concentration Found Mostly in People Awaiting Execution

Maya Angelou? Samuel Johnson? Sheree Crute? Salman Rushdie? Apocryphal?

**Illustration of a Royal brand typewriter**

Question for Quote Investigator: A writer, now celebrated, faced harsh criticism in the early days of her career. She responded by acknowledging that she required greater mental focus to succeed:

If I wanted to write, I had to be willing to develop a kind of concentration found mostly in people awaiting execution.

This statement has been credited to the memoirist and poet Maya Angelou. She was alluding to a remark made in the eighteenth century. Would you please explore this topic.

Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1981 Maya Angelou published the autobiography “The Heart of a Woman”. She described attending a meeting of the Harlem Writers Guild where she read from her work in progress, a play titled “One Life, One Love”. When she finished, she faced cruel comments such as:¹

“I found no life and very little love in the play from the opening of the act to its unfortunate end.”

After the period of criticism ended, the group transitioned to friendly conversation over drinks. Maya Angelou summed up her experience as follows:²

They had stripped me, flayed me, utterly and completely undone me, and now they were as cheery as Christmas cards.

I sipped the cool wine and thought about the evening’s instruction. Because I had a fairly large vocabulary and had been reading constantly since childhood, I had taken words and the art of arranging them too lightly. The writers assaulted my casual approach and made me confront my intention. If I wanted to write, I had to be willing to develop a kind of concentration found mostly in people awaiting execution. I had to learn technique and surrender my ignorance.

Angelou’s comment alluded to a popular quotation from lexicographer Samuel Johnson which appeared in “The Life of Samuel Johnson” by James Boswell in 1791:³

“Depend upon it, Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”

A separate Quote Investigator article about Johnson’s quotation is available here.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: When a Man Knows He Is To Be Hanged in a Fortnight, It Concentrates His Mind Wonderfully

Samuel Johnson? James Boswell? William Dodd? Maya Angelou? Arthur C. Clarke? Vermont Royster? Apocryphal?

**Illustration of tangled rope from Unsplash**

Question for Quote Investigator: A prominent literary figure crafted a fascinating statement about concentration. Here are two versions:

(1) When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.

(2) Nothing so wonderfully concentrates the mind as knowing you are going to be hanged in the morning.

This is a striking remark; however, I have heard that the underlying intent was deception. The literary figure was hiding a secret. Would you please help me determine the creator and the circumstance?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The first statement above was spoken by lexicographer Samuel Johnson, and it was recorded in 1777 by James Boswell in his famous 2-volume biographical work “The Life of Samuel Johnson” which was published in 1791. Interestingly, Johnson’s goal was to mislead.

James Boswell presented the backstory. The man confronting his impending death was William Dodd, an Anglican clergyman who had been convicted of forgery and sentenced to die by hanging. Boswell described Dodd:¹

And here is a proper place to give an account of Johnson’s humane and zealous interference in behalf of the Reverend Dr. William Dodd, formerly Prebendary of Brecon and chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty; celebrated as a very popular preacher, an encourager of charitable institutions, and author of a variety of works, chiefly theological. Having unhappily contracted expensive habits of living, partly occasioned by licentiousness of manners, he in an evil hour, when pressed by want of money, and dreading an exposure of his circumstances, forged a bond …

After William Dodd was imprisoned, he contacted Samuel Jonson through an intermediary and requested Johnson’s support to avoid execution. Johnson wrote several pieces which were subsequently ascribed to Dodd. For example, Johnson wrote “Speech to the Recorder of London”. Johnson also wrote “The Convict’s Address to His Unhappy Brethren”, a sermon delivered by Dodd while in prison.

The high quality of the material penned by Johnson led some to doubt that the ascription to Dodd was accurate. When Johnson was asked about Dodd’s authorship he replied in a misleading manner:²

“Depend upon it, Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”

The above remark implied that Dodd was the author of the material that was written by Johnson. After William Dodd died, Johnson changed his stance. Johnson felt no obligation to keep his authorship secret because Dodd could no longer be helped. Hence, Johnson shared the truth with his biographer James Boswell.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: If You Understood What Communism Was, You Would Hope, You Would Pray on Your Knees That We Would Someday Become Communist

Jane Fonda? Lee Winfrey? David Bassett? Apocryphal?

Question for Quote Investigator: U.S. actress and activist Jane Fonda spoke on college campuses during the 1970s about the Vietnam War. I have seen claims that Fonda said something like the following:

If you understood what communism was … you would pray on your knees that we would someday become communist.

I am skeptical because I have not seen a solid citation. Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match known to QI appeared in the “Detroit Free Press” of Michigan on November 22, 1970, in an article by staff journalist Lee Winfrey. The newspaper article commented on Jane Fonda’s speaking tour:¹

Miss Fonda swept through Detroit and East Lansing this weekend near the end of a 25-day speaking tour to raise money to defend American soldiers who get in trouble with the Army.

The article presented the following remarks spoken by Jane Fonda to local students:²

“I would think that if you understood what communism was, you would hope, you would pray on your knees that we would someday become communist,” she told about 2,000 students at Michigan State University.

The peace proposal of the Vietcong, she told them, “is the only honorable, just, possible way to achieve peace in Vietnam.”

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: (Multilayer Perceptrons) Our Intuitive Judgment That the Extension Is Sterile

Marvin Minsky? Seymour Papert? Apocryphal?

**Illustration depicting an abstract network of connections from Pixabay**

Question for Quote Investigator: The remarkable breakthroughs in artificial intelligence in the twenty-first century are based on digital neural networks. This area of machine learning was pioneered by Warren McCulloch and Walter Pitts who created an artificial neuron model. Also, researcher Frank Rosenblatt moved the field forward with his work on perceptrons.

The field suffered a massive blow when influential researchers proved that a simple perceptron network was incapable of learning an XOR function. Frank Rosenblatt attempted to extend his research to multilayer perceptrons which were more capable. Sadly, Rosenblatt died in an accident in 1971 when he was 43 years old.

Ultimately, multilayer perceptron networks became the foundation of deep learning and modern advances in artificial intelligence. Would you please explore what early critics and respondents said about multilayer networks?

Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1969 by Marvin L. Minsky and Seymour A. Papert published “Perceptrons: An Introduction to Computational Geometry”. A second printing with corrections was published in 1972. These authors highlighted the limitations of simple perceptron networks. They also mentioned with skepticism a “many-layered” version. Now, these systems are called “multilayer neural networks”. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

The problem of extension is not merely technical. It is also strategic. The perceptron has shown itself worthy of study despite (and even because of!) its severe limitations. It has many features to attract attention: its linearity; its intriguing learning theorem; its clear paradigmatic simplicity as a kind of parallel computation.

There is no reason to suppose that any of these virtues carry over to the many-layered version. Nevertheless, we consider it to be an important research problem to elucidate (or reject) our intuitive judgment that the extension is sterile. Perhaps some powerful convergence theorem will be discovered, or some profound reason for the failure to produce an interesting “learning theorem” for the multilayered machine will be found.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: The People Have Spoken — The Bastards

Dick Tuck? Mo Udall? Dick Cavett?

**Picture of stickers stating “I Voted” from Unsplash**

Question for Quote Investigator: A disappointed political candidate delivered a provocative concession speech which combined bitterness with humor:

The people have spoken—the bastards.

This line has been attributed to Dick Tuck who was a campaign strategist, prankster, and fabulist. This statement has also been credited to Arizona politician Mo Udall. Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match found by QI appeared in July 1969 in the “Daily News” of New York City which claimed that the statement was spoken during a television broadcast by Dick Tuck. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

“The people have spoken—the bastards.”

This line, spoken by a guest on the Dick Cavett Show over ABC on Monday evening, illustrates how television may be liberalizing its language …

The line was spoken in jest by Dick Tuck, a professional jokester who creates stunts for various organizations. He told Cavett that the line had constituted his concession speech after he had run for a minor political office and been defeated.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: I’d Like To Pay Tribute To My Four Writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

Fulton J. Sheen? Milton Berle? Bob Hope? Arthur Godfrey?

**A book page displaying the Gospel of John from Unsplash**

Question for Quote Investigator: A show business anecdote states that a popular religious television show of the 1950s once received a prestigious award. When the host of the show attended the ceremony, he noticed that fellow awardees were acknowledging the writers who were employed to help create their shows. Hence, the host added the following line to his acceptance speech:

I feel it is time I pay tribute to my four writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The host namechecked the writers of the four canonical Gospels. This line has been attributed to Catholic Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, but I have also heard that this scenario was fictional, and the line was crafted by a comedian such as Milton Berle, Bob Hope, or Arthur Godfrey. Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: Fulton J. Sheen was the host of the show “Life Is Worth Living” from 1952 to 1957. The program was popular, and Sheen won an Emmy for “Most Outstanding Personality” for his efforts in 1952, but the award ceremony was held in February 1953.¹ Further, Sheen did not attend the Emmy event, and the gold statuette was accepted for Sheen by a priest based in Los Angeles.²

QI determined that the joke was circulating before the Emmy ceremony. The earliest match appeared in a column published in the “Fort Lauderdale News” of Florida in July 1952. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:³

Just the other day, Arthur Godfrey was talking about Bishop Sheen and how he appeals to American listeners and viewers. Arthur says this is due to Bishop Sheen’s writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, et al.

Hence, based on current evidence, QI believes that this quip originated with the entertainer Arthur Godfrey. Subsequently, comedian Bob Hope used a version of this joke. Also, Fulton J. Sheen employed this joke after it was already in use.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: People Don’t Really Read Your Books; They Only Say They Do To Keep You From Feeling Bad

Mark Twain? C. E. M. Joad? Apocryphal?

**The Librarian by Giuseppe Arcimboldo**

Question for Quote Investigator: New authors often receive lavish praise from friends, acquaintances, and relatives, but the plaudits contain suspiciously few details. A famous writer once said:

People don’t really read your books; they only say they do to keep you from feeling bad.

This statement has been credited to humorist Mark Twain. Is this attribution correct? Would you please help me to find a citation?

Reply from Quote Investigator: Mark Twain was a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River in his twenties. He developed a deep respect for the genius of inventor Robert Fulton who designed the first commercially successful steamboat.

In 1906 Twain received a request to deliver a lecture for the benefit of the Robert Fulton Memorial Association. The request came from General Frederick D. Grant. During their exchange of letters, Twain discussed his strategy for engaging the audience. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:

“Well, that is my idea, as I have said; first excite the audience with a spoonful of information about Fulton, and then quiet them down with a barrel of illustrations drawn by memory from my books—and if you don’t say anything the house will think they never heard it before, because people don’t really read your books; they only say they do to keep you from feeling bad.

Twain’s letter achieved wide circulation when it was printed in major newspapers such as “The New York Times”¹ and “The Chicago Tribune”² in 1906.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: Common Sense Is That Which Tells Us the World Is Flat

Albert Einstein? George Bernard Shaw? Stuart Chase? S. I. Hayakawa? Robert Anton Wilson? Minot Judson Savage? Donald Kennedy? Percy Williams Bridgman? Anonymous?

Question for Quote Investigator: We are often admonished to use common sense, but a wit once pointed out the drawback of relying on this simple guideline:

Common sense is what tells you the world is flat.

This expression has been attributed to physicist Albert Einstein, playwright George Bernard Shaw, English professor S. I. Hayakawa, economist Stuart Chase, writer Robert Anton Wilson, and others. I am skeptical because I have not seen a solid citation. Would you please explore this topic.

Reply from Quote Investigator: QI has found no substantive evidence supporting the attribution to Albert Enstein who died in 1955. Einstein received credit many years later in 1990.

This notion can be expressed in many ways which makes it hard to trace. Here is an overview with examples, dates, and attributions.

1866: Common sense … led into grave errors. Such doctrines as … the world is flat (Anonymous)

1872: Common sense … convinces us that the world is flat, and that the sun, moon, and stars are our satellites (Anonymous)

1884: Common-sense teaches us, even to-day, that the world is flat (Minot Judson Savage)

1923: Common sense says the world is flat: science says it is spherical (Harry Roberts)

1924: In the Middle Ages people believed that the earth was flat, for which they had at least the evidence of their senses (George Bernard Shaw)

1940: Good common sense makes it plain that the earth is flat and stands still (Edward Kasner and James Newman)

1948: Common sense tells us that the world is flat, that the sun goes around the earth, that heavy bodies always fall faster than light bodies (Stuart Chase)

1949: Common sense … defined … as that which tells you that the world is flat (Attributed to Stuart Chase by S. I. Hayakawa)

1957: Common sense is what tells you the world is flat (Attributed to Stuart Chase by K. C. Ingram)

1962: Common sense as the faculty which tells us the world is flat (Attributed to Stuart Chase by Robert T. Oliver)

1966: Common sense is what tells you the world is flat (Attributed to an anonymous wag by Robert A Golde)

1974: Common sense is what tells you that the world is flat (Principia Discordia)

1979: Common sense also tells us that the world is flat (Donald Kennedy)

1990: Common sense tells us the earth is flat (Attributed to Albert Einstein by Robert Anton Wilson)

1997: Common sense is that which tells us that the world is flat (Attributed to George Bernard Shaw by Adam Przeworski and Fernando Limongi)

1998: Common sense is something that tells us the world is flat (Attributed to Percy Bridgman by Stephen Booth)

2000: Common sense is what tells you that the world is flat (Anonymous)

Below are details for selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: The Best Argument Against Democracy Is a Five-Minute Talk with the Average Voter

Winston Churchill? Michael A. Chary? Katharine Elizabeth Crane? Jay E. House? John Ward Studebaker? Apocryphal?

**Illustration of a ballot box from Unsplash**

Question for Quote Investigator: The following cynical remark about the electorate has been attributed to British statesman Winston Churchill:

The best argument against Democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.

I have never seen a solid citation, and I am skeptical. Would you please explore the provenance of this statement?

Reply from Quote Investigator: Churchill quotation expert Richard M. Langworth has found no substantive evidence supporting this attribution. Langworth published the important reference work “Churchill By Himself: The Definitive Collection of Quotations” which contained the following analysis of this misquotation:¹

Commonly quoted, but without attribution. Though he sometimes despaired of democracy’s slowness to act for its own preservation, Churchill had a much more positive attitude towards the average voter.

Winston Churchill died in 1965, and the earliest strong match known to QI appeared many years later in August 1992 within a message posted to the Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.comics.misc by Michael A. Chary of Case Western Reserve University. This instance used the word “talk” instead of “conversation”. No source was specified for the quotation. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:²

“The best argument against democracy is a five minute talk with the average voter.” -Winston Churchill

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: As I Looked Out into the Night Sky, Across All Those Infinite Stars It Made Me Realise How Insignificant They Are

Peter Cook? Russell Brand? George Weiss? Apocryphal?

Photo of a starry sky from Unsplash

Question for Quote Investigator: Looking up at the vast star-filled night sky makes many people feel humble. But a humorist flipped this cliché and stated that the myriad stars were insignificant. This notion has been attributed to English comedian Peter Cook and English personality Russell Brand. I have not seen a solid citation; hence, I am skeptical. Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The awe-struck humbling reaction to viewing the night sky has a long history. For example, in 1878 Professor Garrison of Chicago spoke at the “General Conference of Liberal Thinkers” in London and stated the following. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

When the telescope was invented we began to see how insignificant we are, and how a little drop of dew is to our globe something like what we know ourselves to be to the universe.

QI hypothesizes that the quip under examination was derived from a comical dialogue broadcast by the BBC in 1993. Peter Cook played a character named Norman House who was interviewed by Clive Anderson. House/Cook made the extraordinary claim that he had been abducted by aliens:²

Clive Anderson: What planet were you on? Was it Mars or Venus?

Norman House: Ikea. They were people who arrived millions of years ago in cardboard boxes and were forced to assemble themselves.

Anderson requested more details about the aliens on planet Ikea:

Clive Anderson: What do they do for food? Do they eat?

Norman House: No, they’ve been on a diet for two million years. They don’t eat. They have no stomachs or mouths, they just have two slit eyes. So it’s a good thing they don’t eat because there’s really nowhere for them to put the food.

Clive Anderson: Has this experience changed you in any way?

Norman House: Yes. An experience like that — in fact, that experience — made me realise how insignificant they were.

Thus, the main punchline delivered by Peter Cook emphasized the insignificance of a group of aliens and not stars. Nevertheless, QI conjectures that a faulty recollection of this skit led to the creation of the quip about “infinite stars”. The science fictional scenario was a natural venue for both aliens and stars.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.