Upton Sinclair? H. L. Mencken? William Jennings Bryan? C. E. M. Joad? Christopher Matthews? Paul Krugman? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Financial incentives can compromise the critical faculties of an individual. Here are four versions of this insight: Never argue with a man whose job depends on not being convinced. It is difficult to get a …
Monthly Archives: November 2017
Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men. . . Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing
Muhammad Ali? Laila Ali? David Beckham? Aimee Lehto? Boyd Coyner? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: A forceful statement about overcoming obstacles and adversity begins with the following statement: Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men . . . These words are usually attributed to the famous U.S. boxer Muhammad Ali, but I …
When You Hear Hoofbeats Look for Horses Not Zebras
Hilton Read? Theodore E. Woodward? Ele and Walt Dulaney? Harley S. Smyth? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: In medicine the symptoms of a patient are often compatible with a variety of ailments. A skilled diagnostician will use probabilistic reasoning when deciding which ailment is the most likely. Bayesian inference first highlights common maladies instead of rare …
Continue reading “When You Hear Hoofbeats Look for Horses Not Zebras”
Read In Order To Live
Gustave Flaubert? Edward Bulwer-Lytton? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The prominent French literary figure Gustave Flaubert, author of Madame Bovary, placed great value on reading. The following statement is often attributed to him: Read in order to live. Would you please determine whether these words are apocryphal? Quote Investigator: In 1867 Gustave Flaubert wrote a letter …
Practice Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty
Anne Herbert? Chuck Wall? Ann Landers? George Carlin? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Anyone listening to the news is confronted by disheartening phrases such as “random act of violence” and “ugly act of cruelty”. Yet, these phrases have been creatively reconstructed to produce uplifting suggestions. Here are three versions: Practice random acts of kindness and senseless …
Continue reading “Practice Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty”
Try Not To Become a Man of Success But Rather Try To Become a Man of Value
Albert Einstein? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The blinkered pursuit of success can lead an individual to ignore other aspects of life such as adventure, humor, spirituality, exploration, altruism, and curiosity. Albert Einstein apparently offered pertinent advice. Here are four versions: Try not to become a person of success but rather a person of value. Do …
Continue reading “Try Not To Become a Man of Success But Rather Try To Become a Man of Value”
Plans Are Worthless, But Planning Is Everything
Dwight D. Eisenhower? Winston Churchill? Richard M. Nixon? Helmuth von Moltke? Mike Tyson? Anonymous Dear Quote Investigator: The World War II leader and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower apparently made a paradoxical statement about preparation. Here are two versions: 1) Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. 2) Plans are worthless, but planning is essential. …
Continue reading “Plans Are Worthless, But Planning Is Everything”
Procrastination Is the Assassin of Opportunity
Victor Kiam? Home Savings Bank? Painless Withers Dental Company? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Each opportunity in life has an expiration date. One must act quickly. The successful entrepreneur and investor Victor Kiam apparently employed the following vivid metaphor: Procrastination is opportunity’s natural assassin. Would you please help find a citation? Quote Investigator: Victor Kiam became …
Continue reading “Procrastination Is the Assassin of Opportunity”
I Try To Leave Out the Parts that People Skip
Elmore Leonard? Marty Asher? Leonore Fleischer? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The funniest and most cogent writing advice I have ever heard was delivered by the best-selling author Elmore Leonard. According to folklore, an aspiring novelist implored Leonard to reveal the secret of his success, and he replied with something like this: I leave out the …
Continue reading “I Try To Leave Out the Parts that People Skip”
Never Doubt That a Small Group of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens Can Change the World; Indeed, It’s the Only Thing That Ever Has
Margaret Mead? Donald Keys? Norman Vincent Peale? Patrick E. Haggerty? R. H. Edwin Espy? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: A popular energizing statement about small groups changing the world is usually attributed to the influential cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead. Yet, I have been unable to find a solid citation. Would you please help? Quote Investigator: Researchers …