Quote Investigator® – Page 3 – Tracing Quotations

Quote Origin: With My Death I Am Just As Much Obliterated As the Last Mosquito You or I Smashed

Jack London? Charmian London? Apocryphal?

**Portrait of Jack London and an illustration of a mosquito**

Question for Quote Investigator: The U.S. writer Jack London is best known for the novel “The Call of the Wild” and the short story “To Build a Fire”. Apparently, London adhered to a materialistic philosophy, and he was skeptical of an afterlife. When describing the end of life he used a vivid analogy to a smashed mosquito. Would you please help me to find his precise quotation together with a citation?

Reply from Quote Investigator: Jack London died in 1916. In 1921 his wife, Charmian London, published “The Book of Jack London” which included an excerpt from a letter that he wrote to a friend on June 25, 1914. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

“. . . I have always inclined toward Haeckel’s position. In fact, ‘incline’ is too weak a word. I am a hopeless materialist. I see a soul as nothing else than the sum of the activities of the organism plus personal habits, memories, experiences, of the organism. I believe that when I am dead, I am dead. I believe that with my death I am just as much obliterated as the last mosquito you or I smashed.”

“I have no patience with fly-by-night philosophers such as Bergson. I have no patience with the metaphysical philosophers.”

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: The Know-Nothings Are, Unfortunately, Seldom the Do-Nothings

Mignon McLaughlin? William Butler Yeats? Bertrand Russell? Anonymous?

Question for Quote Investigator: The present state of the world might be best explained with the following acerbic remark:

The know-nothings of the world are, regrettably, not the do-nothings.

I am not sure of the original phrasing. Would you please help me to trace this saying and determine the originator?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match located by QI appeared in “The Neurotic’s Notebook” by Mignon McLaughlin who was a journalist, a magazine editor, and an aphorist. Here are three items from the book. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

The know-nothings are, unfortunately, seldom the do-nothings.

What you have become is the price you paid to get what you used to want.

It is romantic to expect that things will get better, cynical to suppose that they will not, bestial not to care.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Anecdote Origin: Will You Have Sugar and Cream in Your Nose?

John Pierpont Morgan? Elizabeth Cutter Morrow? Anne Morrow Lindbergh? Mary Roberts Rinehart? Art Arthur? O. O. McIntyre? Apocryphal?

**Picture of a teapot and teacup from Unsplash**

Question for Quote Investigator: An embarrassing incident occurred when a famous U.S. financier visited the home of a popular hostess. The financier had an obtrusive bulging nose, and the hostess had a young child who was inquisitive and outspoken. The child was carefully told not to make any comments about the nose.

During the visit the youngster was well-behaved and said nothing discomfiting. However, after the child was dismissed the relieved hostess began to serve beverages and said to the financier: “Would you like cream or lemon in your nose?”

According to legend the financier was John Pierpont Morgan, the hostess was Elizabeth Cutter Morrow, and the child was Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Is this anecdote grounded in truth?

Reply from Quote Investigator: John Pierpont Morgan died in 1913. The earliest match for this tale located by QI appeared in a piece by U.S. writer Mary Roberts Rinehart published in “The Saturday Evening Post” in 1928. Rinehart did not precisely identify either the financier or the hostess. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

Sometimes I feel as distracted as the small boy’s mother, when a great financier was coming to Sunday luncheon. Now this financier had a very large and bulbous nose, and Johnnie was warned neither to stare at it nor to mention it. Nor did he, but when the coffee came on and Johnnie was finally excused, his distracted mother turned to the guest and said:

“Mr. Blank, will you have sugar and cream in your nose?”

QI does not know whether Rinehart was presenting a fictional scenario. In most later versions of this story the child was a daughter instead of a son. A denial of the anecdote by Anne Morrow Lindbergh was printed in “The New Yorker” magazine in 1999. See the citation given further below.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: I Would Rather Have Questions That Can’t Be Answered Than Answers That Can’t Be Questioned

Richard Feynman? Daniel Dennett? J. J. Hahn? Arthur
Bloch? Apocryphal? Anonymous?

**An island with foliage shaped like a question mark from Pixabay**

Question for Quote Investigator: Here are two instances from a family of sayings about questions and answers:

(1) Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned.

(2) I would rather have questions that can’t be answered than answers which can’t be questioned.

The first item has been attributed to the prominent philosopher Daniel Dennett, and the second item has been credited to the notable theoretical physicist Richard Feynman. I have been unable to find solid citations, and I have become skeptical. Would you please help me to trace these sayings?

Reply from Quote Investigator: Daniel Dennett did include the first saying above in his 2006 book “Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon”; however, Dennett specified an anonymous attribution, and the saying was already in circulation by 1995.

QI and other researchers have not found any substantive evidence that Richard Feynman employed the second saying above. Feynman died in 1988, and he received credit by 2014. QI conjectures that the second saying evolved from the first saying.

The earliest match for the first saying located by QI appeared in the Usenet newsgroup alt.atheism on January 16, 1995 within a message posted by J. J. Hahn whose e-mail address indicated an affiliation with the University of Minnesota. Hahn placed the saying in a signature block; hence, it occurred in many of their messages. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

Philosophy is questions that may never be answered.
Religion is answers that may never be questioned.

J. J. Hahn is the primary candidate for creator of this saying although it is possible Hahn was simply repeating an expression that was already circulating.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: A Work of Art That Contains Theories Is Like an Object on Which the Price Tag Has Been Left

Marcel Proust? Alexander Pope? Frederick A. Blossom? Sydney Schiff? Apocryphal?

**Illustration of a price tag from Pixabay**

Question for Quote Investigator: A prominent literary figure disapproved of intellectual works filled with abstract discourse and archetypal characters. The critique was expressed as follows:

A work of art that contains theories is like an object on which the price tag has been left.

This statement has been attributed to the French novelist Marcel Proust and the English poet Alexander Pope? Would you please help me to determine the correct author together with a solid citation?

Reply from Quote Investigator: QI has found no substantive evidence supporting the ascription to Alexander Pope who died in 1744.

Marcel Proust is best known for the multivolume work “A la recherche du temps perdu” (“Remembrance of Things Past” or “In Search of Lost Time”). The seventh and final volume in this series was “Le Temps retrouvé” (“Time Regained” or “Finding Time Again”) published in 1927 which contained the following passage:¹

D’où la grossière tentation pour l’écrivain d’écrire des œuvres intellectuelles. Grande indélicatesse. Une œuvre où il ya des théories est comme un objet sur lequel on laisse la marque du prix. Encore cette dernière ne fait-elle qu’exprimer une valeur qu’au contraire en littérature le raisonnement logique diminue.

Below is a translation by Frederick A. Blossom from an edition published in 1932:²

From this comes the vulgar temptation for the writer to write intellectual works. A grave lack of fine feeling! A book in which there are theories is like an article from which the price mark has not been removed. And even at that, a price mark merely expresses value, whereas in literature logical reasoning lessens it.

Here are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: The Hottest New Programming Language Is English

Andrej Karpathy? Apocryphal?

Question for Quote Investigator: The capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) systems have dramatically improved in recent years. One important challenge for AI has been the synthesis of computer programs based on English language descriptions. Apparently, a prominent AI researcher said:

The hottest new programming language is English

Would you please help me to find a citation for this remark?

Reply from Quote Investigator: On January 24, 2023 AI researcher Andrej Karpathy tweeted the following. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

The hottest new programming language is English

Andrej Karpathy is best known for co-founding the OpenAI company and working on computer vision for the autopilot system at Tesla.

In conclusion, Andrej Karpathy deserves credit for this statement which he tweeted in 2023.

Image Notes: Screen displaying computer code. The image has been cropped and resized.

Social Network: X/Twitter, Handle: Andrej Karpathy @karpathy, Timestamp: 3:14 PM – Jan 24, 2023. link ↩︎

Quote Origin: The Important Thing Is Not to Stop Questioning. Curiosity Has Its Own Reason for Existence

Albert Einstein? William Miller? Apocryphal?

**Illustration of the James Webb Space Telescope from NASA**

Question for Quote Investigator: A famous scientist once stated that it was important to never stop questioning because curiosity has it own reason for existing. I do not recall the exact phrasing. This notion has been attributed to physicist Albert Einstein. Would you please help me to find a citation?

Reply from Quote Investigator: “LIFE” magazine editor William Miller visited Albert Einstein at his home in Princeton, New Jersey and interviewed him. Miller’s piece appeared in the May 2, 1955 issue of “LIFE” shortly after Einstein’s death in April 1955. Miller asked Einstein about curiosity. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend only a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Adage Origin: A Small Individual Casts a Long Shadow When the Sun Is Setting

Lin Yutang? Venita Cravens? Walter Savage Landor? Andrew Marvell? Anonymous?

**Picture of a person casting a shadow from Unsplash**

Question for Quote Investigator: Exceptional individuals accomplished remarkable feats in past ages. Unhappy critics complain that the current period lacks great figures. The talents and achievements of popular people nowadays are diminutive. Here are two versions of a pertinent metaphorical adage:

(1) Little men throw long shadows because our sun is setting.
(2) When small men cast big shadows the sun is about to set.

This saying has been attributed to English writer Walter Savage Landor, Chinese linguist Lin Yutang, and U.S. theater promoter Venita Cravens. I am having trouble finding a good citation. Would you please help?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match found by QI appeared in a work published by Walter Savage Landor in 1846. Landor wrote a series of “Imaginary Conversations” between prominent historical figures. The 1846 work depicted a fictional discussion between English poet Andrew Marvell and English Bishop Samuel Parker. Marvell criticized contemporary figures, and Parker asserted that Marvell’s judgement was too harsh. “Marvell” was spelled as “Marvel”. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

Parker. Ever too hard upon great men, Mr. Marvel!

Marvel. Little men in lofty places, who throw long shadows because our sun is setting: the men so little and the places so lofty, that, casting my pebble, I only show where they stand. They would be less contented with themselves if they had obtained their preferment honestly.

This saying has been expressed in many different ways. QI believes that the diverse phrasings evolved from the statement written by Walter Savage Landor.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: Luck Is the Residue of Design

Branch Rickey? John Milton? Alexander Pope? Anonymous?

Question for Quote Investigator: Confident people believe that luck is really controlled by human action. Religious people believe that luck is actually controlled by divine action. Here is a pertinent adage:

Luck is the residue of design.

This statement has been credited to prominent U.S. sports executive Branch Rickey and major English poet John Milton. I cannot find a good citation. Are either of these ascriptions accurate? Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest close match known to QI appeared in the “Lexington Leader” newspaper of Kentucky in 1915. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

Branch Rickey, manager of the St. Louis Browns, and one of the best known base ball men in the country, spoke to the State University Y.M.C.A. last night …

He gave a number of examples to demonstrate his point, and luck, he said, had no place in the lexicon of life, for there was no such thing as luck. Luck, he pointed out, is the residue of design and is governed by causes which are generally in the power of the man himself to govern.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: There Are Only Two Ways of Telling the Complete Truth — Anonymously and Posthumously

Susan Ohanian? Thomas Sowell? Anonymous?

**Tombstone engraved with the word “Unknown”**

Question for Quote Investigator: Social media is rife with conflict. Comments about sensitive topics produce incendiary responses. I am reminded of this mordant insight:

There are only two ways of telling the complete truth—anonymously and posthumously.

U.S. economist Thomas Sowell and U.S. teacher Susan Ohanian have received credit for this remark. Would you please help me to find a citation?

Reply from Quote Investigator: In July 1985 Thomas Sowell published a column containing a long list of quips and adages which included the following three items. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

There are only two kinds of schools — those that keep up with the latest educational trends and those that teach.

There are only two ways of telling the complete truth — anonymously and posthumously.

There are only two kinds of gamblers — those who say they have lost more than they have won and those who lie about it.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.