Tracing Quotations
Henri Bergson? Robertson Davies? Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? Thomas Carlyle? Anais Nin? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: One might see a duck when looking at the famous ambiguous image above, or one might see a rabbit. Perceiving one animal partially blocks the recognition of the other animal, and mental effort is required to switch one’s …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Eye Sees Only What the Mind Is Prepared To Comprehend”
Thomas Carlyle? Patrick Geddes? Robertson Davies? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: When you interpret a visual scene your grasp is limited by your knowledge and preconceptions. The eye can only see what it is prepared to see. The Scottish philosopher and historian Thomas Carlyle said something similar to this. Would you please help me to …
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? Anais Nin? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: During a Rorschach test a patient is shown a series of ambiguous inkblots and his or her reactions and interpretations are recorded. This assessment reminds me of an adage. Here are two versions: Would you please explore this saying? Reply from Quote Investigator: There …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: One Sees What One Carries In One’s Own Heart”
Mark Twain? Agatha Christie? Sally Berger? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: To overcome procrastination one must initiate a task. Although this is straightforward advice it is an arcane approach according to the following adage: The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The famed humorist Mark Twain and the popular mystery writer Agatha Christie have …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Secret of Getting Ahead Is Getting Started”
Sydney J. Harris? Sydney Smith? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Different types of regret may be experienced when you do something and when you refrain from doing something. A statement on this topic has been attributed to two disparate Sydneys: the English wit Sydney Smith and the U.S. columnist Sydney J. Harris. Would you please …