Joseph Curtin? Earl Wilson? Adolphe Menjou? Paul H. Gilbert? Danny Kaye? Fred Allen? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Achieving great fame is a common goal, but the drawbacks of mass popularity emerge clearly whenever someone succeeds. There is a joke based on this insight that chides celebrities who wear dark glasses. Would you please explore …
Author Archives: quoteresearch
Quote Origin: There Are Only Two Tragedies. One Is Not Getting What One Wants, and the Other Is Getting It
Oscar Wilde? George Bernard Shaw? Oliver Onions? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The psychology of human desire is paradoxical. The failure to achieve a goal can lead to unhappiness and ever despair. Yet, attaining an objective can produce an aftermath of uncertainty and lassitude. The following adage is humorous and poignant: There are two tragedies …
Quote Origin: Some Cause Happiness Wherever They Go; Others Whenever They Go
Oscar Wilde? Success Magazine? Olin Miller? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Individuals with energetic, warm, and joyful personalities are welcome at most gatherings, but individuals with sullen and mean-spirited dispositions are often unwelcome. This observation accords with the following insight: Some people bring happiness wherever they go, and others whenever they leave. This statement is …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Some Cause Happiness Wherever They Go; Others Whenever They Go”
Quote Origin: In the Beginning, There Was Nothing. The Lord Said, ‘Let There Be Light.’ Then There Was Still Nothing, But You Could See It Much Better
Ellen DeGeneres? Woody Allen? Joe Doyle? The Flying Karamazov Brothers? George Burns? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a joke based on the biblical creation story that contains the famous line “Let there be light”. The punch line of the gag is: There was still nothing. But you could see it a whole lot …
Quote Origin: The Opposite of Courage Is Not Cowardice; It Is Conformity
Rollo May? Earl Nightingale? Jim Hightower? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Uncommon or unconventional thoughts and behaviors can elicit hostility. To avoid estrangement many people consciously or unconsciously conform to societal expectations. Pursuing an individual path requires bravery and determination. Consider the following adage: The opposite of courage isn’t cowardice; it’s conformity. This notion has …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Opposite of Courage Is Not Cowardice; It Is Conformity”
Quote Origin: Statistics Are No Substitution for Judgment
Henry Clay Sr.? Henry Clay? Sar A. Levitan? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: This is the era of big data, and organizations are performing myriad statistical calculations; however, this surfeit of numbers can be misleading. Thoughtful discernment is required to see beyond current information as suggested by the following adage: Statistics are no substitute for …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Statistics Are No Substitution for Judgment”
Quote Origin: Wear a Smile and Have Friends; Wear a Scowl and Have Wrinkles
George Eliot? Mary Ann Evans? F. O. Hamilton? Lillie Langtry? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The following adage encourages sociability and the projection of happiness: Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles. This statement has been credited to George Eliot, a popular Victorian era novelist whose real name was Mary …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Wear a Smile and Have Friends; Wear a Scowl and Have Wrinkles”
Quote Origin: What Do We Live For, If It Is Not To Make Life Less Difficult To Each Other?
George Eliot? Mary Ann Evans? F. O. Hamilton? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: George Eliot was a prominent English novelist of the Victorian era. The author’s real name was Mary Ann Evans. The following remark has been ascribed to her: What do we live for if not to make the world less difficult for each …
Quote Origin: A Man Who Is His Own Lawyer Has a Fool for a Client
Abraham Lincoln? William De Britaine? Roger L’Estrange? Italian Proverb? Benjamin Franklin? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Evaluating complex legal issues requires expertise. Abraham Lincoln reportedly employed the following adage. Here are two versions: Would you please explore this topic? Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest partial match known to QI appeared in the 1682 book …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: A Man Who Is His Own Lawyer Has a Fool for a Client”
Quote Origin: He Who Acts as His Own Doctor Has a Fool for a Patient
Roger L’Estrange? William Grant? John Bristed? William J. Flagg? William Osler? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A person with a serious malady should be very cautious about treating himself or herself. This holds true even if the person is a physician. Here are some versions of a pertinent adage: Would you please explore the provenance …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: He Who Acts as His Own Doctor Has a Fool for a Patient”