Winston Churchill? Alexander Ince? Leonard Lyons? Emanuel Shinwell? John Williams Hughes? Drew Pearson? Eleanor Boardman? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Ensuring the smooth operation of the industry sector that supplies energy to a country is a crucial task. Here is an example of the type of mockery aimed at a politician who botched this important …
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Quote Origin: If You Can Pick Up After a Crushing Defeat, and Go On To Win Again, You Are Going To Be a Champion Someday
Wilma Rudolph? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: To achieve victory you must be able to handle defeat without collapsing or becoming discouraged. No one goes through life completely undefeated. Olympic gold-medal-winning runner Wilma Rudolph once indicated that winners must be able to pick themselves up after crushing defeat. Would you please help me to find …
Quote Origin: Talent Is a Dreadfully Cheap Commodity, Cheaper Than Table Salt
Stephen King? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Years ago the famous horror writer Stephen King was discussing how to become a successful artist, and he employed vivid figurative language that I can still recall. He indicated that talent was as common and cheap as table salt. His bracing insight was that success required great effort …
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Quote Origin: There Is No Royal and Flower Strewn Road To Success
Madam C. J. Walker? Sarah J. Walker? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The cosmetics entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker once spoke to a journalist about her enormous accomplishments. She indicated that her pathway to success was not strewn with flowers, and her ascent required hard work and sleepless nights. Would please help me to find …
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Quote Origin: Bitcoin Is Probably Rat Poison Squared
Warren Buffett? Charlie Munger? Liz Claman? Becky Quick? Mark Cuban? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The value of bitcoin has fluctuated dramatically. Extreme language has been used to either praise or vilify this prominent digital currency. The superinvestors Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger have made harsh pronouncements. Apparently, Munger said bitcoin was rat poison, and …
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Quote Origin: Don’t ASS-U-ME Anything
Oscar Wilde? Felix Unger? Tony Randall? John Glick? Clarence L. Lollar? Dick West? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Making unfounded assumptions causes endless difficulties. A clever quip highlighting this problem is based on splitting a word into three parts: It is dangerous to assume because you might make an “ass” out of “u” and “me”. …
Quote Origin: Comparison Is the Thief of Joy
Theodore Roosevelt? Mark Twain? C. S. Lewis? Dwight Edwards? John Powell? Ray Cummings? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Comparing your status to others often produces envy and unhappiness. Here are four instances from a family of pertinent adages: Statesman Theodore Roosevelt, humorist Mark Twain, author C. S. Lewis, and religious figure Dwight Edwards have all …
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Quote Origin: Bicycle Riding, If Persisted In, Leads To Weakness of Mind, General Lunacy, and Homicidal Mania
The New York Times? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator A major U.S. newspaper supposedly published an article that claims riding a bicycle inevitably leads to general lunacy and homicidal mania. This assertion sounds satirical. Does this article actually exist? Reply from Quote Investigator: On August 12, 1894 “The New York Times” published an article titled …
Quote Origin: The Lecture Is an Obsolete Practice Dating From the Middle Ages When Books Were Scarce
Virginia Woolf? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Apparently, the prominent English writer Virginia Woolf thought that transmitting knowledge via lectures was a “vain and vicious system”. She also stated that lecturing was “an obsolete practice dating from the Middle Ages”. Would you please help me to find a citation? Reply from Quote Investigator: Virginia Woolf …
Quote Origin: The Greatest Shortcoming of the Human Race Is Man’s Inability To Understand the Exponential Function
Albert A. Bartlett? William Dillinger? Paul A. Tipler? David Suzuki? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: What do the following have in common: computing power, internet communication traffic, human population, energy use? Each has experienced exponential growth. The full implications of such rapid changes are difficult to grasp. A scientist has asserted that the incomprehension of …