Bertrand Russell? Neil Postman? Apocryphal? Question for 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 …
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Quote Origin: I Am Only a Public Entertainer Who Has Understood His Times
Pablo Picasso? Giovanni Papini? Apocryphal? Question for 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? Reply from Quote Investigator: No. The well-known …
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Quote Origin: 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? Question for Quote Investigator: An obtuse, unreliable, or incompetent person occasionally performs properly. Here are three versions of a proverb reflecting this observation: This saying has been attributed to the prominent Austrian …
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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, …
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Quote Origin: If Noah Had Been Truly Wise, He Would Have Swatted Those Two Flies
Helen Castle? Charley Prentice? Walt Mason? Kenneth Richards? Anonymous? Question for 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 …
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Quote Origin: You May Live To See Man-Made Horrors Beyond Your Comprehension
Nikola Tesla? Apocryphal? Question for 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? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest strong match …
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Quote Origin: 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? Question for 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 …
Quote Origin: It Is Not the Mountain We Conquer, But Ourselves
Edmund Hillary? George Mallory? Apocryphal? Question for 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 …
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Quote Origin: Have We Vanquished an Enemy? None But Ourselves
George Mallory? Edmund Hillary? Apocryphal? Question for 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 …
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Quote Origin: I Attribute My Success to This:—I Never Gave or Took an Excuse
Florence Nightingale? Apocryphal? Question for 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 …
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