Tracing Quotations
Charles Bukowski? Kinky Friedman? Van Dyke Parks? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The following grimly comical paean to romanticized self-destruction is often attributed to the poet, novelist, and imbiber Charles Bukowski: Find what you love and let it kill you. I have been unable to locate a poem or story written by Bukowski containing this …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Find What You Love, and Let It Kill You”
Confucius? Nelson Mandela? Vince Lombardi? Oliver Goldsmith? Ralph Waldo Emerson? Christian Nestell Bovee? Question for Quote Investigator: The following adage about motivation and perseverance has been attributed to an oddly eclectic group: Chinese philosopher Confucius, football coach Vince Lombardi, activist politician Nelson Mandela, Irish author Oliver Goldsmith, and transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Here are four …
Orson Welles? Henry Jaglom? Mildred Pitts Walter? Dom Hofmann? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The brilliant movie director Orson Welles has been credited with a fascinating statement about the construction of artworks in the presence of constraints. When a performer or creator faces a limit such as a tight budget for a production then creative …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Enemy of Art Is the Absence of Limitations”
Albert Einstein? A Yale Professor? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The importance of laying the proper groundwork before attempting to solve a problem is emphasized in a popular statement that is usually attributed to the scientific luminary Albert Einstein. Here are three versions: If I had only one hour to save the world, I would …
Ralph Waldo Emerson? John Ruskin? Charles Kingsley? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Extraordinary scenes of beauty can uplift one’s spirit. The following remark is often attributed to the philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson: Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God’s handwriting. I searched in a database of …
Ambrose Bierce? Paul Rodriguez? Jon Stewart? Mark Twain? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Many people are unable to find countries and major cities on a map. A comical remark about this cartographical ignorance has been attributed to both Ambrose Bierce and Mark Twain. Here are four versions: I searched in Bierce’s “The Devil’s Dictionary” and …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: War Is God’s Way of Teaching Us Geography”
Ambrose Bierce? Henry Ward Beecher? Laurence J. Peter? Groucho Marx? Harry H. Jones? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The rant of an enraged person often contains statements that necessitate contrite apologies later. Here is an adage reflecting this insight: Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret. …
Thomas Edison? Joshua Reynolds? Irving Babbitt? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A piquant statement about mental laziness is attributed to the inventor and research laboratory pioneer Thomas A. Edison. Here are two versions: There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labor of thinking. There is no expedient to …
Mae West? Margot Asquith? Lillie Langtry? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The movie star, screenwriter, and sex symbol Mae West once spoke a humorous line about keeping a diary, but I do not recall the precise phrasing. She said a diary might provide the diarist with financial support in the future. Are you familiar with …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Keep a Diary, and Perhaps Someday It Will Keep You”
Dwight D. Eisenhower? John Le Carré? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a popular time management scheme called the Eisenhower Decision Principle or the Eisenhower Matrix which is named after U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Every task is evaluated based on two axes: important/unimportant and urgent/not urgent. There are different rules for each type …