Thomas Merton? Anonymous? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: I’ve been wondering about the authenticity of a quote about happiness I came across some time ago. I’ve been unable to find a source so far. Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony. It was supposedly said by Thomas Merton. …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
Quote Origin: Some Spirit Is Manifest in the Laws of the Universe, One That is Vastly Superior to That of Man
Albert Einstein? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Did Albert Einstein say the following? Everyone who is seriously interested in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe – a spirit vastly superior to man, and one in the face of which our modest powers must …
Quote Origin: You Have an Idea. I Have an Idea. We Swap. Now We Each Have Two Ideas.
George Bernard Shaw? SYSTEM magazine? Stanley B. Moore? Charles F. Brannan? Jimmy Durante? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a very valuable insight in the following saying that is credited to George Bernard Shaw: If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange apples then you and I will still …
Quote Origin: America Is the Only Country That Went from Barbarism to Decadence Without Civilization In Between
Ogden Nash? George Bernard Shaw? James Agate? La Liberté? Winston Churchill? Henry James? Oscar Wilde? Georges Clemenceau? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a famous humorous saying about the United States that has been credited to four celebrated wits: George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill, and Georges Clemenceau: America is the only country that …
Quote Origin: The Main Thing Is Honesty. If You Can Fake That, You’ve Got It Made
Groucho Marx? George Burns? Jean Giraudoux? Celeste Holm? Ed Nelson? Samuel Goldwyn? Daniel Schorr? Joe Franklin? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The funniest advice I was ever given as a sales associate was from another seasoned employee: The most important thing is honesty. Once you can fake that, you’ve got it made. Later, I read …
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Quote Origin: The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent Was a Summer in San Francisco
Locale: San Francisco, California? Paris, France? Duluth, Minnesota? Milwaukee, Wisconsin? Originator: Mark Twain? Horace Walpole? James Quin? R. Q. Grant? Lord Byron? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Living in Menlo Park near San Francisco I have heard the following witticism credited to Mark Twain many times: The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer …
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Quote Origin: You Must Know Your Destination Port If You Wish to Catch A Favorable Wind
Oscar Wilde? Seneca the Younger? Leon Tec? Question for Quote Investigator: Recently, I came across a quotation in a pub in Germany that was credited to Oscar Wilde. Your help in tracing this expression would be greatly appreciated but there is a twist to this request that will probably increase the difficulty. I have not …
Quote Origin: The Graveyards Are Full of Indispensable Men
Charles De Gaulle? Georges Clemenceau? Elbert Hubbard? R. C. O’Brien? Vladmir Bjornberg? Seth Wiggins? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: I would love to have a specific citation for the following quotation. Here are two versions that I’ve seen many times: 1) The graveyards are full of indispensable men. 2) The cemeteries are full of indispensable …
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Quote Origin: I Don’t Want To Be the Richest Man in the Cemetery
Steve Jobs? Colonel Harland Sanders? Ed Wynn? The Sportsmen? Skeets Gallagher? Clifford Odets? Question for Quote Investigator: Steve Jobs was the most fascinating entrepreneur and business leader of modern times in my opinion. Several of his quotations were reprinted in articles after his death at the early age of 56. This one captured my interest: …
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Dialogue Origin: “How Will You Get Robots to Pay Union Dues?” “How Will You Get Robots to Buy Cars?”
Walter Reuther? Henry Ford II? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: An article on the Economist website recently told an extraordinary anecdote about automation. The rivals in the tale were two titans in the world of automobile manufacturing who took a tour of a newly built and highly-automated factory. The forceful executive, Henry Ford II, and …