Charles Bukowski? Kinky Friedman? Van Dyke Parks? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The following grimly comical paean to romanticized self-destruction is often attributed to the poet, novelist, and imbiber Charles Bukowski: Find what you love and let it kill you. I have been unable to locate a poem or story written by Bukowski containing this line. …
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Our Greatest Glory Is Not in Never Falling, But in Rising Every Time We Fall
Confucius? Nelson Mandela? Vince Lombardi? Oliver Goldsmith? Ralph Waldo Emerson? Christian Nestell Bovee? Dear Quote Investigator: The following adage about motivation and perseverance has been attributed to an oddly eclectic group: Chinese philosopher Confucius, football coach Vince Lombardi, activist politician Nelson Mandela, Irish author Oliver Goldsmith, and transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Here are four versions. …
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The Enemy of Art Is the Absence of Limitations
Orson Welles? Henry Jaglom? Mildred Pitts Walter? Dom Hofmann? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The brilliant movie director Orson Welles has been credited with a fascinating statement about the construction of artworks in the presence of constraints. When a performer or creator faces a limit such as a tight budget for a production then creative thought …
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I Would Spend 55 Minutes Defining the Problem and then Five Minutes Solving It
Albert Einstein? A Yale Professor? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The importance of laying the proper groundwork before attempting to solve a problem is emphasized in a popular statement that is usually attributed to the scientific luminary Albert Einstein. Here are three versions: If I had only one hour to save the world, I would spend …
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Never Lose an Opportunity of Seeing Anything Beautiful. Beauty is God’s Handwriting
Ralph Waldo Emerson? John Ruskin? Charles Kingsley? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Extraordinary scenes of beauty can uplift one’s spirit. The following remark is often attributed to the philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson: Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God’s handwriting. I searched in a database of Emerson’s …
War Is God’s Way of Teaching Us Geography
Ambrose Bierce? Paul Rodriguez? Jon Stewart? Mark Twain? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Many people are unable to find countries and major cities on a map. A comical remark about this cartographical ignorance has been attributed to both Ambrose Bierce and Mark Twain. Here are four versions: War is God’s way of teaching us geography War …
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Speak When You’re Angry and You’ll Make the Best Speech You’ll Ever Regret
Ambrose Bierce? Henry Ward Beecher? Laurence J. Peter? Groucho Marx? Harry H. Jones? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The rant of an enraged person often contains statements that necessitate contrite apologies later. Here is an adage reflecting this insight: Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret. These …
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There Is No Expedient to which a Man Will Not Resort to Avoid the Real Labor of Thinking
Thomas Edison? Joshua Reynolds? Irving Babbitt? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: A piquant statement about mental laziness is attributed to the inventor and research laboratory pioneer Thomas A. Edison. Here are two versions: There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labor of thinking. There is no expedient to which …
Keep a Diary, and Perhaps Someday It Will Keep You
Mae West? Margot Asquith? Lillie Langtry? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The movie star, screenwriter, and sex symbol Mae West once spoke a humorous line about keeping a diary, but I do not recall the precise phrasing. She said a diary might provide the diarist with financial support in the future. Are you familiar with this …
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What Is Important Is Seldom Urgent and What Is Urgent Is Seldom Important
Dwight D. Eisenhower? John Le Carré? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: There is a popular time management scheme called the Eisenhower Decision Principle or the Eisenhower Matrix which is named after U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Every task is evaluated based on two axes: important/unimportant and urgent/not urgent. There are different rules for each type of …
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