Bertrand Russell? Neil Postman? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The relationship between language and thought is complex. The famous philosopher Bertrand Russell held the provocative belief that some thoughts could not exist without language. I believe I read this assertion in a book Russell wrote, but I have not been able to relocate the apposite passage. …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
I Am Only a Public Entertainer Who Has Understood His Times
Pablo Picasso? Giovanni Papini? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Pablo Picasso reportedly admitted in a “Confession” that he did not consider himself a great artist; instead, he was an entertainer who shocked and amused the rich and indolent to gain fame and wealth. Did Picasso really say this? Quote Investigator: No. The well-known “Confession” was invented …
Continue reading “I Am Only a Public Entertainer Who Has Understood His Times”
Even a Stopped Clock Is Right Twice a Day
Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach? Lewis Carroll? Charles L. Dodgson? Joseph Addison? Richard Steele? Diedrich Knickerbocker? Washington Irving? Albany de Grenier Fonblanque? Paulo Coelho? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: An obtuse, unreliable, or incompetent person occasionally performs properly. Here are three versions of a proverb reflecting this observation: Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. A …
Continue reading “Even a Stopped Clock Is Right Twice a Day”
Quote Origin: There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free Lunch — TANSTAAFL
Milton Friedman? Robert Heinlein? Robert G. Ingersoll? Michael Montague? Walter Morrow? John Madden? Harley L. Lutz? Pierre Dos Utt? Leonard P. Ayres? Jake Falstaff? Herman Fetzer? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Today many goods and services are available for free especially via the internet. However, the true cost is usually not zero. Subsidies, indirect costs, …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free Lunch — TANSTAAFL”
If Noah Had Been Truly Wise, He Would Have Swatted Those Two Flies
Helen Castle? Charley Prentice? Walt Mason? Kenneth Richards? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Noah collected and placed pairs of living creatures onto the ark he constructed according to the famous biblical tale. But not all creatures are looked upon favorably by humankind. The following comical couplet chides Noah for missing a rare opportunity: If Noah had …
Continue reading “If Noah Had Been Truly Wise, He Would Have Swatted Those Two Flies”
You May Live To See Man-Made Horrors Beyond Your Comprehension
Nikola Tesla? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Nikola Tesla was a brilliant inventor and showman with a science fictional mystique. The following ominous quotation is attributed to him: You may live to see man-made horrors beyond your comprehension. Would you please help to find a solid citation? Quote Investigator: The earliest strong match located by QI …
Continue reading “You May Live To See Man-Made Horrors Beyond Your Comprehension”
We Are Taught To Fly in the Air Like Birds, and To Swim in the Water Like the Fishes; But How To Live on the Earth We Don’t Know
George Bernard Shaw? Martin Luther King? Maxim Gorky? Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan? C. E. M. Joad? Walter Winchell? Jack Paar? Anonymous? Quote Investigator: Technological progress today is shockingly vertiginous, but advancements toward human reconciliation and harmony are glacially slow. A saying from the previous century treats this topic with poignancy: Now that we have learned to fly …
It Is Not the Mountain We Conquer, But Ourselves
Edmund Hillary? George Mallory? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Edmund Hillary and fellow mountaineer Tenzing Norgay were the first two people to reach the summit of the tallest peak on Earth, Mount Everest, in 1953. The grueling expedition required extensive planning and the climbers displayed remarkable self-control during the ascent. Hillary reportedly summarized the lesson of …
Continue reading “It Is Not the Mountain We Conquer, But Ourselves”
Have We Vanquished an Enemy? None But Ourselves
George Mallory? Edmund Hillary? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Mountaineers have spoken about the physical endurance and self-mastery required to stand atop a mountain. Here are two similar statements expressing this idea: 1) Have we vanquished an enemy? None but ourselves 2) It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. Two individuals have been linked …
Continue reading “Have We Vanquished an Enemy? None But Ourselves”
I Attribute My Success to This:—I Never Gave or Took an Excuse
Florence Nightingale? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Florence Nightingale was one of the great humanitarians of the nineteenth century. She was the founder of modern nursing, and her work as an educator, administrator, and activist saved many lives. Her calls for urgent action often elicited excuses, but she continued to move forward. She reportedly said the …
Continue reading “I Attribute My Success to This:—I Never Gave or Took an Excuse”