Confucius? Nelson Mandela? Vince Lombardi? Oliver Goldsmith? Ralph Waldo Emerson? Christian Nestell Bovee? Question for 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 …
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Quote Origin: The Enemy of Art Is the Absence of Limitations
Orson Welles? Henry Jaglom? Mildred Pitts Walter? Dom Hofmann? Apocryphal? Question for 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 …
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Quote Origin: I Would Spend 55 Minutes Defining the Problem and then Five Minutes Solving It
Albert Einstein? Robert Judson Aley? George E. Carrothers? William H. Markle? Apocryphal? Question for 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 …
Quote Origin: Never Lose an Opportunity of Seeing Anything Beautiful. Beauty is God’s Handwriting
Ralph Waldo Emerson? John Ruskin? Charles Kingsley? Apocryphal? Question for 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 …
Quote Origin: War Is God’s Way of Teaching Us Geography
Ambrose Bierce? Paul Rodriguez? Jon Stewart? Mark Twain? Anonymous? Question for 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: I searched in Bierce’s “The Devil’s Dictionary” and …
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Quote Origin: 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? Question for 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. …
Quote Origin: 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? Question for 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 …
Quote Origin: Keep a Diary, and Perhaps Someday It Will Keep You
Mae West? Margot Asquith? Lillie Langtry? Anonymous? Question for 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 …
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Quote Origin: What Is Important Is Seldom Urgent and What Is Urgent Is Seldom Important
Dwight D. Eisenhower? John Le Carré? Apocryphal? Question for 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 …
Quote Origin: If Your Only Tool Is a Hammer Then Every Problem Looks Like a Nail
Mark Twain? Abraham Maslow? Abraham Kaplan? Silvan Tomkins? Kenneth Mark Colby? Lee Loevinger? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The tools that we are able to apply to problems alter our perceptions of the challenges we face and the solutions that are appropriate. A popular adage illustrates this idea with a compelling analogy. Here are three …
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