Joseph Curtin? Earl Wilson? Adolphe Menjou? Paul H. Gilbert? Danny Kaye? Fred Allen? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Achieving great fame is a common goal, but the drawbacks of mass popularity emerge clearly whenever someone succeeds. There is a joke based on this insight that chides celebrities who wear dark glasses. Would you please explore this …
Monthly Archives: August 2019
There Are Only Two Tragedies. One Is Not Getting What One Wants, and the Other Is Getting It
Oscar Wilde? George Bernard Shaw? Oliver Onions? Anonymous? Quote Investigator: The psychology of human desire is paradoxical. The failure to achieve a goal can lead to unhappiness and ever despair. Yet, attaining an objective can produce an aftermath of uncertainty and lassitude. The following adage is humorous and poignant: There are two tragedies in life—not …
Some Cause Happiness Wherever They Go; Others Whenever They Go
Oscar Wilde? Success Magazine? Olin Miller? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Individuals with energetic, warm, and joyful personalities are welcome at most gatherings, but individuals with sullen and mean-spirited dispositions are often unwelcome. This observation accords with the following insight: Some people bring happiness wherever they go, and others whenever they leave. This statement is usually …
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In the Beginning, There Was Nothing. The Lord Said, ‘Let There Be Light.’ Then There Was Still Nothing, But You Could See It Much Better
Ellen DeGeneres? Woody Allen? Joe Doyle? The Flying Karamazov Brothers? George Burns? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: There is a joke based on the biblical creation story that contains the famous line “Let there be light”. The punch line of the gag is: There was still nothing. But you could see it a whole lot better. …
The Opposite of Courage Is Not Cowardice; It Is Conformity
Rollo May? Earl Nightingale? Jim Hightower? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Uncommon or unconventional thoughts and behaviors can elicit hostility. To avoid estrangement many people consciously or unconsciously conform to societal expectations. Pursuing an individual path requires bravery and determination. Consider the following adage: The opposite of courage isn’t cowardice; it’s conformity. This notion has been …
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Statistics Are No Substitution for Judgment
Henry Clay Sr.? Henry Clay? Sar A. Levitan? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: This is the era of big data, and organizations are performing myriad statistical calculations; however, this surfeit of numbers can be misleading. Thoughtful discernment is required to see beyond current information as suggested by the following adage: Statistics are no substitute for judgement. …
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Wear a Smile and Have Friends; Wear a Scowl and Have Wrinkles
George Eliot? Mary Ann Evans? F. O. Hamilton? Lillie Langtry? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The following adage encourages sociability and the projection of happiness: Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles. This statement has been credited to George Eliot, a popular Victorian era novelist whose real name was Mary Ann …
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What Do We Live For, If It Is Not To Make Life Less Difficult To Each Other?
George Eliot? Mary Ann Evans? F. O. Hamilton? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: George Eliot was a prominent English novelist of the Victorian era. The author’s real name was Mary Ann Evans. The following remark has been ascribed to her: What do we live for if not to make the world less difficult for each other? …
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