Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? Thomas Mann? André Gide? Arthur Koestler? Garrett Hardin? Horace Mann? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Sometimes a truthful statement can undermine a cherished belief and provide comfort to an adversary. Thus, it is tempting to embrace an untruthful statement that provides temporary solace. Yet, accepting uncomfortable truths leads to personal growth, …
Category Archives: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Quote Origin: Tell Me What Company You Keep, and I Will Tell You What You Are
Miguel de Cervantes? Don Quixote? Sancho Panza? Euripides? Lord Chesterfield? Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? Joseph Hordern? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: If you are attempting to assess the character of an individual you can do it indirectly by identifying his or her friends and assessing their proclivities. Here are three versions of a pertinent saying: …
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Quote Origin: If We Treat People as If They Were What They Ought To Be, We Help Them Become What They Are Capable of Becoming
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? Thomas Carlyle? Mary Shelley? Percy Bysshe Shelley? Thomas S. Monson? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a family of sayings ascribed to the prominent German literary figure Goethe. Here are two instances in the family: If you treat people as they are, they will become worse. If you treat them …
Quote Origin: I Have Come to a Frightening Conclusion. I Am the Decisive Element in the Classroom
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? Haim G. Ginott? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The major German literary figure Goethe has received credit for a passage that begins: I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. I have not found any solid ascriptions …
Quote Origin: The Eye Sees Only What the Mind Is Prepared To Comprehend
Henri Bergson? Robertson Davies? Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? Thomas Carlyle? Anais Nin? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: One might see a duck when looking at the famous ambiguous image above, or one might see a rabbit. Perceiving one animal partially blocks the recognition of the other animal, and mental effort is required to switch one’s …
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Quote Origin: One Sees What One Carries In One’s Own Heart
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? Anais Nin? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: During a Rorschach test a patient is shown a series of ambiguous inkblots and his or her reactions and interpretations are recorded. This assessment reminds me of an adage. Here are two versions: Would you please explore this saying? Reply from Quote Investigator: There …
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Quote Origin: Never Attribute to Malice That Which Is Adequately Explained by Stupidity
Robert Heinlein? Napoleon Bonaparte? Ayn Rand? David Hume? Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? Robert J. Hanlon? Arthur Cushman McGiffert? William James Laidlay? Ernst Haeckel? Thomas F. Woodlock? Nick Diamos? Question for Quote Investigator: It is easy to impute hostility to the actions of others when a situation is actually unclear. A popular insightful adage attempts to …
Quote Origin: What You Get By Reaching Your Goals Is Not Nearly So Important As What You Become By Reaching Them
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? Henry David Thoreau? Zig Ziglar? Question for Quote Investigator: Many self-help and inspirational books contain this guidance: What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. These words have been ascribed to three disparate individuals: German literary titan Johann Wolfgang von …
Quote Origin: Nine Requisites for Contented Living
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? William D. Smith? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: The prominent German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe has been credited with the following group of expressions called: The Nine Requisites for Contented Living: (1) Health enough to make work a pleasure.(2) Wealth enough to support your needs.(3) Strength to battle with difficulties …
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Quote Origin: What You Can Do, or Dream You Can, Begin It; Boldness Has Genius, Power, and Magic in It
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? John Anster? William Hutchison Murray? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a wonderful quotation about the pivotal step of making a commitment to an enterprise: Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it;Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. These two lines are often attributed to the …