Tracing Quotations
Abraham Lincoln? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The Newseum is a museum in Washington, D.C. featuring exhibits about the history of communication, the news industry, and free expression. A powerful quotation attributed to Abraham Lincoln is engraved into one of its walls: Let the people know the facts, and the country will be safe. I …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Let Them Know the Truth, and the Country Is Safe”
William Goldman? Will Rogers? Kevin Smith? Gus Van Sant? Robert Towne? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Predicting the box office success of a forthcoming movie is apparently impossible. It is also difficult to anticipate the critical response. These challenges are encapsulated in a Hollywood adage of exasperation: Nobody knows anything. Would you please explore the …
Eleanor Roosevelt? Addie Philko? Thomas Malory? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A popular motivational statement has been attributed to the social activist and former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt: The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. I have been unable to find a solid citation. What do you think? …
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 …
Lucille Ball? Benjamin Franklin? Elbert Hubbard? W. J. Kennedy? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A popular proverb suggests that when you are faced with a large task you should call upon someone with an ongoing track record of accomplishment. Here are three versions: This notion has been attributed to top comedian Lucille Ball, statesman Benjamin …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: If You Want Something Done, Ask a Busy Person To Do It”
Bill Joy? George Gilder? Bill Gates? Dan Gillmor? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Bill Joy is a top computer scientist who helped to develop the UNIX operating system and co-founded Sun Microsystems. He formulated an important insight now called “Joy’s Law” about the distribution of expertise in organizations. Here are three versions: Would you please …