Herbert Spencer? G. Stanley Hall? Karl Groos? George L. Knapp? George Bernard Shaw? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Children enjoy playing, yet this rambunctious and exploratory spirit often fades with age. The following adage encourages the retention of a youthful temperament. Here are four versions: (1) People do not cease playing because they grow old, …
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Quote Origin: I Am Not Innarested In Your Horrible Disease
William S. Burroughs? Kenneth Turan? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The transgressive Beat Generation author William Burroughs once wrote something like the following: I am not innarested in your horrible disease. I recall reading this many years ago. The word “interested” was deliberately written with the nonstandard spelling “innarested”. Maybe my memory is flawed because …
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Quote Origin: We Learn From History That We Do Not Learn From History
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel? Aldous Huxley? George Bernard Shaw? Henry Tizard? Caroline Thomas Harnsberger? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The historical record displays clear patterns, yet there is enormous resistance to learning from these patterns. Here are two versions of a humorously contradictory adage: (1) We learn from history that we do not learn from …
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Quote Origin: Those Who Cannot Remember the Past Are Condemned To Repeat It
George Santayana? Edmund Burke? Winston Churchill? Question for Quote Investigator: The study of history teaches vital lessons; however, those lessons are often unheeded. Here are five versions of a popular adage: (1) Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. (2) Those who do not learn from the experience of history are …
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Quote Origin: One Has To Belong To the Intelligentsia To Believe Things Like That: No Ordinary Man Could Be Such a Fool
George Orwell? Bertrand Russell? Thomas Sowell? Nicholas Kisburg? George Will? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Intelligent individuals sometimes embrace remarkably foolish ideas. Here are four versions of an acerbic remark: (1) One has to belong to the intelligentsia to believe things like that: no ordinary man could be such a fool. (2) This is one …
Quote Origin: Through Love, Through Friendship, a Heart Lives More Than One Life
Anais Nin? Rosalie Maggio? Katherine Young? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A deep emotional rapport with another person allows one to live vicariously. A famous diarist apparently said the following: Through love, through friendship, a heart lives more than one life. This statement has been ascribed to French-born U.S. author Anaïs Nin. Would you please …
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Quote Origin: Fascist Movement – To Fascinate Fools and Muzzle the Intelligent
Bertrand Russell? Ruth Nanda Anshen? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A prominent thinker said something like the following: the success of fascism is based on fascinating the fools and muzzling the intelligent. Would you please help me to determine the name of the author and the correct phrasing? Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1940 U.S. …
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Anecdote Origin: “Why Didn’t You Buy That From Me?” “You Never Asked Me.”
Henry Ford? Philip C. Gunion? Norval Hawkins? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Salespeople must directly and unambiguously request appropriate actions. This lesson is taught in an anecdote about a wealthy business magnate who purchased an expensive item. A friend of the magnate asked, “Why didn’t you buy that item from me?” The magnate replied “You …
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Quote Origin: The Best Thing About the Future Is That It Comes Only One Day at a Time
Abraham Lincoln? Dean Acheson? Vermont Woman? Andrew Tully? Lion? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Contemplating the future can be overwhelming when one is facing endless demands and myriad dangers. The following saying mixes humor, acceptance, and sanguinity: The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time. U.S. President …
Quote Origin: If I Told You That You Have a Gorgeous Figure Would You Hold It Against Me?
Groucho Marx? David Bellamy? Max Miller? Monty Python? George Little? Barney Horrigan? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: In 1979 the Bellamy Brothers released a popular country music song with a humorous title: If I said you had a beautiful body would you hold it against me? This line has been attributed to the famous comedian …