Thomas Jefferson? W. W. Ziege? Elbert Hubbard? Orison Swett Marden? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Several spiritual traditions assert that thoughts and beliefs can directly alter the world. Maintaining a positive outlook is highly desirable as indicated in the following proposition: Nothing can stop a person with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing …
Category Archives: Elbert Hubbard
Don’t Take Life So Serious, Son … It Ain’t Nohow Permanent
Pogo? Walt Kelly? Porky Pine? Albert Alligator? Elbert Hubbard? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Walt Kelly created the landmark comic strip “Pogo” which combined beautiful artwork with entertaining humor. One strip contained a philosophical remark suggesting that one should not take life too seriously because of its transience. Would you please help me to find a …
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Fear Defeats More People than Any Other One Thing in the World
Ralph Waldo Emerson? Elbert Hubbard? Napoleon Bonaparte? Dale Carnegie? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Self-help books encourage people to act with confidence and assurance because apprehension can block progress. I once read the following motivational statement: Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world. These words were attributed to the famous transcendentalist …
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I Have Made It a Rule Never To Smoke More Than One Cigar at a Time
Mark Twain? Elbert Hubbard? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Mark Twain followed two thoughtful guidelines regarding smoking: Never smoke more than one cigar at a time. Never smoke while sleeping. Would you please determine when he enunciated these rules? Quote Investigator: In 1905 Mark Twain celebrated his seventieth birthday at the popular New York restaurant Delmonico’s. …
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Editor: A Person Employed on a Newspaper, Whose Business It Is To Separate the Wheat from the Chaff, and To See that the Chaff Is Printed
Creator: Elbert Hubbard, founder of New York artisan community called Roycrofters, collector and creator of adages Context: The May 1913 issue of “The Philistine: A Periodical of Protest” published by Elbert Hubbard contained a set of humorous definitions for “editor”:[1]1913 May, The Philistine: A Periodical of Protest, Volume 36, Number 6, (Definition of Editor), Quote …
Get Your Happiness Out of Your Work, or You’ll Never Know What Happiness Is
Elbert Hubbard? Thomas Carlyle? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Working for a living consumes enormous amounts of time and energy. If you wish to be happy in life then it is essential to try and obtain happiness from your work. Would you please determine who created an adage expressing this idea? Quote Investigator: Elbert Hubbard was …
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MacGuffin Is the Term We Use To Cover All that Sort of Thing: To Steal Plans or Documents, or Discover a Secret, It Doesn’t Matter What It Is
Alfred Hitchcock? Elbert Hubbard? Theodore Parker? François Truffaut? Dear Quote Investigator: The influential English film director Alfred Hitchcock employed the term MacGuffin when he discussed the plots of his movies. He also told a peculiar story to explain the meaning of the term. Would you please explore this topic? Quote Investigator: In 1967 the prominent …
If You Want Something Done, Ask a Busy Person To Do It
Lucille Ball? Benjamin Franklin? Elbert Hubbard? W. J. Kennedy? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: A popular proverb suggests that when you are faced with a large task you should call upon someone with an ongoing track record of accomplishment. Here are three versions: If you want something done, ask a busy person. If you want anything …
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The Love You Give Away Is the Only Love You Keep
Elbert Hubbard? Apocryphal? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: I’m intrigued by the following counter-intuitive adage: The love we give away is the only love we keep. Would you please explore its provenance? Quote Investigator: Elbert Hubbard was the founder of a community of artisans called Roycrofters who were located in East Aurora, New York. He also …
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Life Is Just One Damn Thing After Another
Mark Twain? Lilian Bell? Elbert Hubbard? Frank Ward O’Malley? Bruce Calvert? H. L. Mencken? Charles Dickens? Edna St. Vincent Millay? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: The following statement of exasperation and resignation has been attributed to the luminary Mark Twain, the aphorist Elbert Hubbard, and the journalist Frank Ward O’Malley: Life is just one damn thing …
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