W. H. Auden? George Herbert Palmer? Young Boy? Thomas Robert Dewar? John Foster Hall? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Altruism is a cornerstone of many religions and philosophies. Here are two versions of a humorous comment on this topic: If we are here to help others, I often wonder what the others are here for. …
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Quote Origin: Alone We Can Do So Little. Together We Can Do So Much
Helen Keller? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A website on education policy began a recent article with a statement attributed to Helen Keller: Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. No citation was given. Would you please examine this saying? Reply from Quote Investigator: There is good evidence that Helen …
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Quote Origin: Half of the Town Councilors Are Not Fools
Swedish Councilor? Benjamin Disraeli? Australian Alderman? Casey Motsisi? Dennis Skinner? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Recently on twitter I saw a joke about the limits placed on unparliamentary language in Britain. A photo depicted an unhappy contemporary politician in the House of Commons with a caption similar to the following: Politician: Half the members of …
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Quote Origin: Happiness Is A Butterfly, Which When Pursued, Seems Always Just Beyond Your Grasp
Nathaniel Hawthorne? Henry David Thoreau? L.? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: An ingenious and lovely simile about happiness is confusingly attributed to two prominent literary figures: Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau. Here are two versions: Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which, if you will …
Quote Origin: Anyone Who Doesn’t Take Truth Seriously in Small Matters Cannot Be Trusted in Large Ones Either
Albert Einstein? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: My University has an Academic Integrity Office which has launched a poster campaign that includes an image of Albert Einstein together with the following statement which has been ascribed to the brilliant physicist: Anyone who doesn’t take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted with large ones either. …
Quote Origin: Repentance on a Sunday for What One Has Done on Saturday
Thomas R. Ybarra? Contributor to Life Magazine? Victor L. Berger? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Individuals who attend church services without sincerity have long been criticized with the following sardonic description: Those who repent on Sunday, For what they did on Saturday, And plan to do again on Monday. I have been unable to determine …
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Quote Origin: Do Not Be So Open-Minded That Your Brains Fall Out
Carl Sagan? Arthur Hays Sulzberger? Marianne Moore? E. E Cummings? William Allan Neilson? Walter Kotschnig? Samuel Butler? G. K. Chesterton? Max Radin? James Oberg? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a desirable balance between exploring novel ideas with an open mind and maintaining a healthy skepticism. The following humorous cautionary statement exemplifies the tension: …
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Quote Origin: There’s a Sucker Born Every Minute
P.T. Barnum? Hungry Joe Lewis? Artemus Ward? Mike McDonald? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A famous saying about gullibility is usually attributed to the well-known showman P. T. Barnum. Here are two versions: There’s a sucker born every minute. There’s a fool born every minute. Whether Barnum actually used either of these expressions is …
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Quote Origin: If I Had a Single Flower for Every Time I Think of You, I Could Walk Forever in My Garden
Alfred Lord Tennyson? Claudia Adrienne Grandi? Claudia Ghandi? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The website of a major international news organization has an article titled “Tennyson: 10 Essential Quotes” with the following item listed third: If I had a flower for every time I thought of you… I could walk through my garden forever. Strangely, …
Quote Origin: They May Forget What You Said, But They Will Never Forget How You Made Them Feel
Frank A. Patterson Jr.? Maya Angelou? Carl W. Buehner? Carl W. Buechner? Carol Buchner? Don Aslett? Jerry Johnston? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The most valuable advice that I have ever heard for speakers and teachers is the following: They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. …