Tracing Quotations
Ambrose Bierce? H. L. Mencken? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: There is a comically acerbic remark about elections that is often attributed to the famous cynic Ambrose Bierce: An election is nothing more than the advanced auction of stolen goods. Several of my friends have told me that these are actually the words of the influential …
Continue reading “Every Election Is a Sort of Advance Auction Sale of Stolen Goods”
Winston Churchill? Abraham Lincoln? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Winston Churchill once famously exhorted an audience to “never give in”. There is another saying attributed to him about perseverance. Here are three versions: 1) Success is the ability to move from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm. 2) Success is going from failure …
Continue reading “Success Is Going from Failure to Failure Without Losing Your Enthusiasm”
Plato? Aubert J. Clark? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The following statement is attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher and sage Plato: The most effective kind of education is that a child should play among lovely things. Although this quotation is popular with many educators I have never seen a proper citation. Would you please explore …
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William Shakespeare? Mark Twain? Oscar Wilde? Winston Churchill? Abby Buchanan Longstreet? Frank Fay? Pierre de Roman? Joey Adams? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: There exists a collection of similar jokes based on word play and the terms: battle, armed, wit, and half-wit. Here are some examples: 1) I would challenge you to a battle of wits, …
Continue reading “I Would Challenge You To a Battle of Wits, But I See You Are Unarmed”
Michelangelo? John Ruskin? George F. Pentecost? Boys’ Life Magazine? Orison Swett Marden? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: There is an unlikely tale about the brilliant Renaissance artist Michelangelo. He was asked about the difficulties that he must have encountered in sculpting his masterpiece David. But he replied with an unassuming and comical description of his creative …
Continue reading “You Just Chip Away Everything That Doesn’t Look Like David”
Ralph Waldo Emerson? Muriel Strode? Fred V. Hawley? Andrew Taylor Still? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: A powerful inspirational quote about choosing your own destiny is often attributed to the notable philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. Here are two versions: Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave …
Continue reading “I Will Go Where There Is No Path, and I Will Leave a Trail”
William Shakespeare? Pablo Picasso? David Viscott? Joy Golliver? Emilio Santini? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: A popular adage presents a fascinating answer to a perennial philosophical question about the significance of life: The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away. This statement is often attributed to …
Victor Hugo? Oscar Wilde? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: There is a popular humorous anecdote about an exchange of letters between Victor Hugo and his publisher shortly after the publication of “Les Misérables”. Each message consisted of only a single character. Are you familiar with this story? Recently, I heard a version of the tale with …
Continue reading “Briefest Correspondence: Question Mark? Exclamation Mark!”
Karl Menninger? Brenda Ueland? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The following statement about the enormous importance of listening attentively during conversations instead of simply talking is attributed to the psychiatrist Karl Menninger and the writer Brenda Ueland. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand. Ideas actually begin to grow within …
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Speaker: William Allen Butler? Henry Clapp? John Bright? Junius Henri Browne? Howard Crosby? Henry Armitt Brown? Benjamin Disraeli? William Cowper? Topic: Horace Greeley? Benjamin Disraeli? George Law? David Davies? Dear Quote Investigator: Whenever I hear the claim that an individual who has excelled in life is a self-made man or a self-made woman I think …
Continue reading ““He Is a Self-Made Man.” “Yes, And He Worships His Creator.””