Tracing Quotations
Ralph Waldo Emerson? Martin Luther King Jr.? Emily Faithfull? Amelia Edith Barr? Charles A. Beard? Thomas Carlyle? Norman Vincent Peale? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a popular metaphorical expression that encourages people to maintain hope and optimism during times of unhappiness and trouble. Here are three versions: 1) Only when it is dark …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: The Eternal Stars Shine Out Again, So Soon As It Is Dark Enough”
Ralph Waldo Emerson? Leo Rosten? Thomas Carlyle? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: On Facebook and the web the following quotation has been circulating widely: The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived …
Continue reading “The Purpose of Life Is Not To Be Happy But To Matter”
Thomas Carlyle? Irving Fisher? Joseph Schumpeter? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: There is a humorous saying about parrots and economists that is often attributed to the philosopher and satirist Thomas Carlyle. Sometimes the joke is simply ascribed to Anonymous. Here are three versions: 1: Teach a parrot the terms ‘supply and demand’ and you’ve got …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Teach a Parrot to Say ‘Supply and Demand’ and You Have an Economist”