Henry Ward Beecher? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The famous nineteenth-century clergyman, social reformer, and orator Henry Ward Beecher offered some intriguingly modern health advice. He felt that people should “consult Doctor Sun more”. They should frequently enjoy the open air, sunlight, and rain. Would you please help me to find a citation? Reply from …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
Dialogue Origin: “Did Hamlet Have an Affair with Ophelia?” “In My Theater Company, Invariably”
John Barrymore? Walter Sichel? William Powell Frith? Anonymous Scene-Shifter? Johnston Forbes-Robertson? Arthur Machen? Cedric Hardwicke? Errol Flynn? Question for Quote Investigator: The theater world has long been known for complex tempestuous relationships between cast members on and off the stage. One comical tale concerns the ambiguous relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia presented in William Shakespeare’s …
Quote Origin: Socialism Would Take Too Many Evenings
Oscar Wilde? H. G. Wells? George Bernard Shaw? Michael Walzer? Arnold S. Kaufman? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Some forms of socialism are implemented via a participatory process. An engaged citizenry would attend meetings, learn about different approaches, discuss topics, formulate policies, build consensus, and vote. These tasks can be quite laborious. Here are two …
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Quote Origin: When You’re 60 You Realize No One Was Ever Thinking About You
Winston Churchill? Will Rogers? Jock Falkson? Ann Landers? Ewan McGregor? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: One’s sensitivity to the opinions of others often changes as one matures. The following statement has been attributed to statesman Winston Churchill: When you’re 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you’re 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when …
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Quote Origin: When You Don’t Promote, a Terrible Thing Happens . . . Nothing
P. T. Barnum? Pat Williams? Billboard? Ford Saeks? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Human attention is a scarce commodity. Considerable effort is required to attract potential customers to a new business or product. Here are two versions of a pertinent saying: These statements have been attributed to the famous showman Phineas T. Barnum. What do …
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Quote Origin: Dear Sir, I Have Read Your Play. Oh, My Dear Sir. Yours Faithfully
Herbert Beerbohm Tree? Albert Chevalier? John Clayton? Johnston Forbes-Robertson? John Golden? James Wallen? John Alfred Calthrop? Charles Dillingham? Anonymous? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Successful producers and directors are regularly sent screenplays and scripts by individuals with high aspirations. Unfortunately, these products of creativity are often terrible. One theater manager in the 1800s responded with …
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Quote Origin: God Is Really Only Another Artist. He Invented the Giraffe, the Elephant, and the Cat. He Has No Real Style
Pablo Picasso? Françoise Gilot? Carlton Lake? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The famous Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso contemplated the dissimilarity of the animals created by God, e.g., the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat. He concluded that God had no consistent style. Would you please help me to find a citation? Reply from …
Quote Origin: Self-Trust Is the First Secret of Success
Ralph Waldo Emerson? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Anxiety and self-doubt can sabotage one’s attempts to achieve success. The transcendentalist philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said: Self-trust is the first secret of success. Would you please help me to find a citation? Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1870 Ralph Waldo Emerson collected a set of his …
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Quote Origin: Like Two Bald Men Fighting Over a Comb
Jorge Luis Borges? Phaedrus? Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian? Clarke Jervoise? Leo Tolstoy? H. L. Mencken? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The following trenchant simile is the best description of a futile conflict that I have ever heard: The clash was like two bald men fighting over a comb. The prominent Argentinian author Jorge Luis Borges …
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Quote Origin: The Opposite of Love Is Not Hate, But Indifference
Elie Wiesel? Wilhelm Stekel? Rosalie Gabler? John Le Carré? Rollo May? August Strindberg? William Hale White? Otto M. Spangler? David Cornwell? Question for Quote Investigator: Love and hate are intense emotions that are sometimes mingled together. The following statement makes a fascinating point: The opposite of love is not hate; it’s indifference. This adage has …
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