Tracing Quotations
Hellen Keller? Anne Sullivan? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: There is an inspirational saying about beginning a task again even when you fail. Eventually, you will accomplish your purpose although it may not be exactly the purpose with which you began. This notion has been attributed to Anne Sullivan who was the brilliant teacher of Helen …
Continue reading “Each Time You Fail, Start All Over Again, and You Will Grow Stronger”
Helen Keller? Socrates? Plato? Seneca the Younger? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: A person has two genetic parents, four grandparents, and eight great-grandparents. The number of ancestors in a generation roughly doubles when going backwards in time, and this exponential growth implies that each individual has an enormous number of ancestors. This line of reasoning suggests …
Helen Keller? Anne Sullivan? Sherokee Ilse? Kathy R. Floyd? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The loss of a companion is heartbreaking. The following viewpoint has provided solace to many: What we have once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of us. These words have been …
Helen Keller? Walt Whitman? Charles Swain? Celia Burleigh? Lydia G. Worth? Edmund Cooke? M. B. Whitman? Maori Proverb? Dear Quote Investigator: A popular metaphorical framework equates sunlight to positive situations and shadow to unfavorable conditions. Here are two instances of an adage about maintaining an optimistic perspective: This notion has been credited to prominent poet …
Continue reading “Keep Your Face Always Towards the Sunshine, and the Shadows Will Fall Behind You”
Helen Keller? Alexander Graham Bell? Johann P. F. Richter? Miguel de Cervantes? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: A venerable adage emphasizes the desirability of retaining a positive outlook and flexibility. Plans always encounter difficulties, and a successful person must be able to adapt. Here are two instances of a proverb that employs doorways figuratively: When one …
Winston Churchill? Bertram Carr? F. W. Cole? John D. Rockefeller? L. P. Jacks? Helen Keller? Anonymous? Dear Quote investigator: Here are four versions of a popular saying about differing mental attitudes: The pessimist sees an obstacle in every opportunity; the optimist sees an opportunity in every obstacle. An optimist finds an opportunity in every difficulty; …
Helen Keller? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: A wise statement about true happiness and its connection to the pursuit of a worthwhile objective has been attributed to the blind social activist Helen Keller. Are you familiar with this saying and is the ascription accurate? Quote Investigator: Hellen Keller maintained a journal during the years 1936 and …
Helen Keller? Van Wyck Brooks? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: An inspirational adage encouraging boldness and audacity has been attributed to Helen Keller who overcame great adversity: Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. Is this accurate? Quote Investigator: Helen Keller did write a closely matching statement; however, the appended phrase “at all” …
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Helen Keller? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: A website on education policy began a recent article with a statement attributed to Helen Keller: Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. No citation was given. Would you please examine this saying? Quote Investigator: There is good evidence that Helen Keller did speak …
Continue reading “Alone We Can Do So Little. Together We Can Do So Much”
Helen Keller? Anne Sullivan? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Helen Keller was once asked about the price she would pay to gain the sense of sight. Her reported response was thoughtful and poignant: I would rather walk with a friend in the dark than walk alone in the light. What were the circumstances surrounding this quotation? …
Continue reading “I Would Rather Walk With a Friend in the Dark Than Alone in the Light”