Mark Twain? Baltasar Gracian? John Maynard Keynes? Norman Angell? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: An energetic liar can confuse, mislead, and deceive people. Yet, in many cases, that same liar is unable to reverse the deception. Hoodwinked people embrace their misperceptions. Here is a pertinent adage: It’s easier to fool people than to convince them …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
Quote Origin: Every Blockhead Is Thoroughly Persuaded That He Is In the Right
Baltasar Gracián y Morales? Mountstuart Grant Duff? Joseph Jacobs? Christopher Maurer? Martin Fischer? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Thoughtful people periodically revise their opinions as their knowledge grows. Obstinate and foolish people develop an opinion and then refuse to change it even when evidence accumulates that their original position is deeply flawed. Clinging to erroneous …
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Quote Origin: It Is Easier to Bamboozle People Than It Is To Unbamboozle Them
John Maynard Keynes? Norman Angell? Carter Field? Lionel Robbins? Malcolm W. Bingay? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: With time and effort it is possible to bamboozle people, i.e., to fool or mislead them. Unfortunately, this process of deception can be so thorough that it is impossible to debamboozle them, i.e., to convince them of the …
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Quote Origin: Don’t Be Yourself—Be Someone a Little Nicer
Mignon McLaughlin? Leata McQuiston? Barbara Bush? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: “Be yourself” is an ubiquitous platitude. Here is a funny variant: Don’t be yourself—be someone a little nicer. Would you please explore the provenance of this quip? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest instance located by QI appeared in a newspaper column called “Chatter” by …
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Quote Origin: Our Homes Are Our Prisons; Let Us Find Freedom in Their Decoration
Coco Chanel? Gabrielle Chanel? Pierre Reverdy? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: People spend many hours in their homes. The fashion icon Coco Chanel (Gabrielle Chanel) recommended beautifying one’s abode. She said something like this: Our homes are our prisons; one finds liberty in their decoration. This saying resonates powerfully in 2020 because of the Covid-19 …
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Quote Origin: We Must Walk Consciously Only Part Way Toward Our Goal, and Then Leap in the Dark To Our Success
Henry David Thoreau? William Ellery Channing? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: When you are pursuing a goal you should be guided by conscious and unconscious thoughts. These two complementary elements will each take you part of the way to the goal. As you approach the objective you must make a leap in the dark to …
Quote Origin: If Fifty Million People Say a Foolish Thing, It Is Still a Foolish Thing
Anatole France? Bertrand Russell? W. Somerset Maugham? Oliver Goldsmith? J. A. Schmit? Laurence J. Peter? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Fifty million people may parrot a false or foolish statement, but that will not metamorphose it into a true or sensible remark. Here are two instances in this family of statements: This saying has been …
Quote Origin: The United Voice of Myriads Cannot Lend the Smallest Foundation To Falsehood
Oliver Goldsmith? H. L. Mencken? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: In the Internet Age a falsehood is sometimes repeated incessantly and propagated across the world. Yet, the collective voice of one million people cannot transform a falsehood into a truth. This insight has a long history. The prominent Anglo-Irish novelist and playwright Oliver Goldsmith said …
Quote Origin: What Would Remain of Our Tragedies If a Literate Insect Were To Offer Us Hers?
Emil M. Cioran? W. H. Auden? Louis Kronenberger? Richard Howard? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Humans experience many tragedies, but contemplating the extreme hardships faced by other creatures provides a sobering perspective. The Romanian and French literary figure Emil M. Cioran said something like the following: What would be left of our tragedies if an …
Quote Origin: The Only Person You Are Destined To Become Is the Person You Decide To Be
Ralph Waldo Emerson? Nike Advertisement? Janet Champ? Charlotte Moore? Wieden & Kennedy? Pam Finger? Question for Quote Investigator: Some people fear that their genes or social circumstances will restrict their life options and push them inexorably toward a foreordained destiny. An inspirational message presents a radically different viewpoint: The only person you are destined to …