Paul Tsongas? Harold Kushner? Arnold Zack? Barbara Mackoff? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: When an individual is lying on a deathbed and contemplating mortality the need to ascribe a transcendent meaning and purpose to life often becomes paramount. Deep bonds of love, caring, and friendship are highlighted. The workaday world recedes in importance. Here are …
Monthly Archives: March 2021
Quote Origin: We Look Into Mirrors But We Only See the Effects of Our Times On Us—Not Our Effect On Others
Pearl Bailey? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: When you look into a mirror your self-image may be altered, but you are not forced to see yourself objectively. You do not perceive yourself through the eyes of others, and you do not really understand your effect on others. The U.S. actress and singer Pearl Bailey once …
Quote Origin: The Best Swordsman in the World Doesn’t Need To Fear the Second Best Swordsman
Mark Twain? David Weber? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Achieving expert knowledge and abilities in a domain may require many years of hard work. Yet, expertise does not guarantee success. Here is a counterintuitive adage: The best swordsman does not fear the second best. He fears the worst since there’s no telling what that idiot …
Quote Origin: In Science We Should Be Interested In Things, Not Persons
Marie Curie? Pierre Curie? Ève Curie? Marie Mattingly Meloney? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Gossip about people is extraordinarily popular. A famous scientist once criticized this attitude as follows: In science, we must be interested in things, not in persons. This statement has been attributed three members of a renowned French family: Marie Curie, Pierre …
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Quote Origin: All the Love Scenes Had Been Shot Like Murder Scenes, and All the Murder Scenes Like Love Scenes
Alfred Hitchcock? François Truffaut? Grace Kelly? Sam Mendes? Question for Quote Investigator: Director Alfred Hitchcock was a master of suspense and horror. For decades his filmmaking techniques have been closely studied by other directors, screenwriters, and critics. One observer uncovered a disquieting connection between Hitchcock’s portrayal of homicide and intimacy: The murder scenes are filmed …
Quote Origin: Talent Is Like Electricity
Maya Angelou? Claudia Tate? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: An insightful simile likens the creative talent displayed by an individual while dancing, composing, teaching, or singing to electricity. This figure of speech has been attributed to Renaissance woman Maya Angelou. Would you please explore this topic? Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1983 Claudia Tate edited …
Quote Origin: Tact Is the Ability To Describe Others As They See Themselves
Mary Pettibone Poole? Abraham Lincoln? Aldous Huxley? Eleanor Chaffee? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The ability to perceive others as they see themselves is an enormously helpful guide for smooth and productive interactions. Here is a pertinent adage: Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves. This saying has been attributed …
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Quote Origin: Within a Generation … the Problems of Creating Artificial Intelligence Will Be Substantially Solved
Marvin Minsky? Herbert A. Simon? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A top researcher in computer science in the 1960s contended that the problem of building machines with artificial intelligence (AI) would be largely solved within a generation. A statement of this type has been attributed to Marvin Minsky of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Would …
Quote Origin: What’s Not Going To Change in the Next 10 Years?
Jeff Bezos? Wolfgang R. Schmitt? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Business leaders in technology-based companies are often asked for ten year predictions of change. Apparently, Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, once responded by spinning the inquiry. He said there was a more important question: What’s not going to change in the next 10 years? He …
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Quote Origin: Find the Good. It’s All Around You. Find It, Showcase It, and You’ll Start Believing in It
Jesse Owens? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: It is easy to find negative stories. News reports constantly highlight them. I prefer the following guidance: Find the good. It’s all around you. Showcase it. This saying has been credited to acclaimed athlete Jesse Owens who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. …