Quote Origin: “How do you go about having good ideas?” “You have a lot of ideas and throw away the bad ones”

Linus Pauling? Apocryphal?

Question for Quote Investigator: An innovative scientist was once asked about how it was possible to generate worthwhile ideas. He replied approximately as follows:

 You have a lot of ideas and throw away the bad ones.

This remark has been ascribed to Linus Pauling who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962. Would you please help me to find a citation?

Reply from Quote Investigator: A partially matching quotation from Linus Pauling appeared in “Fortune” magazine in April 1960 within an article about prominent U.S. chemists. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[1] 1960 April, Fortune, Great American Scientists: The Chemists by Lawrence Lessing, Start Page 131, Quote Page 134, Column 2, Time Inc., Chicago, Illinois (Verified with scans)

Pauling energetically pursued his ideas in many directions. “The best way to have a good idea,” he says, “is to have a lot of ideas.”

In January 1961 “Time” magazine printed a slightly different version of Pauling’s remark:[2] 1961 January 2, Time, Man Of The Year: U.S. Scientists, Page Number Not Specified, Time Inc., Chicago, Illinois. (Accessed content.time.com on March 23, 2023)

Linus Carl Pauling, 59, Caltech’s outspoken, opinionated chemist, began prying into the personality of the atom just after World War I, when the laboratories of his specialty were alive with novel and productive ideas. The coincidence was explosive. For Pauling believes that “the best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.” He had plenty.

In 1969 Dickinson College of Carlisle, Pennsylvania awarded Pauling the Priestley Memorial Award. The local newspaper, “The Evening Sentinel”, published an article about the ceremony which included remarks from Pauling during which he employed the full version of the quotation:[3] 1969 March 28, The Evening Sentinel, Priestley Award Winner Says Deployment of ABM’s “Silly”, Start Page 1, Quote Page 6, Column 1, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. (Newspapers_com)

“I was once asked ‘How do you go about having good ideas?’ and my answer was that you have a lot of ideas and throw away the bad ones. Train your subconscious to discard the bad ones,” he suggested.

“Often a flash of inspiration gives scientists answers and ideas. Later the scientist looks for a logical derivation and often succeeds in finding one.”

Additional details are available in the article on the Medium platform which is available here.

Image Notes: Illustration of a lightbulb from Gerd Altmann at Pixabay.

Acknowledgement: Great thanks to Stephen Goranson whose message led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration.

References

References
↑1 1960 April, Fortune, Great American Scientists: The Chemists by Lawrence Lessing, Start Page 131, Quote Page 134, Column 2, Time Inc., Chicago, Illinois (Verified with scans)
↑2 1961 January 2, Time, Man Of The Year: U.S. Scientists, Page Number Not Specified, Time Inc., Chicago, Illinois. (Accessed content.time.com on March 23, 2023)
↑3 1969 March 28, The Evening Sentinel, Priestley Award Winner Says Deployment of ABM’s “Silly”, Start Page 1, Quote Page 6, Column 1, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. (Newspapers_com)

Quote Origin: Being Irish, He Had an Abiding Sense of Tragedy Which Sustained Him Through Temporary Periods of Joy

William Butler Yeats? John Millington Synge? Oliver Stone? George Bernard Shaw? Mary Higgins Clark? Martha Manning? Paul Greenberg? James Finn Garner? Apocryphal? Anonymous?

Question for Quote Investigator: The painful history of the island of Ireland has produced numerous inhabitants with a melancholy disposition. This notion is reflected in the following humorously inverted saying:

Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy which sustained him through temporary periods of joy.

These words have been attributed to Nobel prize-winning Irish writer William Butler Yeats, but I have never seen a citation, and I have become skeptical. Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: Several researchers have unsuccessfully attempted to locate this statement in the works of William Butler Yeats who died in 1939. The ascription is currently unsupported.

The earliest match located by QI appeared in a 1991 article in the “San Francisco Chronicle” of California. The piece contained remarks from U.S. movie director Oliver Stone who was releasing a biopic about songwriter and vocalist Jim Morrison of the rock group “The Doors”. Stone used the saying while describing the psychology of Morrison, and Stone credited the words to Yeats. Stone’s variant phrasing used the word “itinerant” instead of “temporary”. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[1]1991 March 3, San Francisco Chronicle, Oliver Stone Lights a Fire / Oscar-winning director brings Doors’ Jim Morrison to life by Edward Guthmann (Chronicle Staff Writer), Quote Page 20, San … Continue reading

“He was pessimistic by nature,” Stone adds. “He reminds me of something William Butler Yeats said about another Irishman: ‘He had an abiding sense of tragedy, occasionally interrupted by an itinerant sense of joy.’”

Citations crediting Yeats also appeared in 1993, 1994, 1995 and afterward. QI believes that the ascription to Yeats is incorrect, but a citation before 1991 probably exists. At this time, the originator remains anonymous.

Additional details are available in the article on the Medium platform which is available here.

Image Notes: Painting by Robert Henri circa 1913 of “O’Malley Home” located on Achill Island in County Mayo, Ireland. This public domain image has been cropped and resized.

Acknowledgements: Great thanks to Jesse Sheidlower, Mary Murphy, James C. Pappas, Charika Swanepoel, and Jason Zweig, whose inquiries led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration.

References

References
↑1 1991 March 3, San Francisco Chronicle, Oliver Stone Lights a Fire / Oscar-winning director brings Doors’ Jim Morrison to life by Edward Guthmann (Chronicle Staff Writer), Quote Page 20, San Francisco, California. (NewsBank Access World News)

Quote Origin: Every Minute You Are Angry, You Lose Sixty Seconds of Happiness

Ralph Waldo Emerson? Mary Pickford? Irving Hoffman? Office Cat? Junius? Anonymous?

Question for Quote Investigator: A constant stream of social media and news updates is available to each of us. It is easy to seek out material which induces anger, yet the value of continuously inflicting aggravation and anguish upon oneself is unclear. Here are two versions of a pertinent adage:

(1) Every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness.
(2) Every moment you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of joy.

The influential transcendentalist thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson has received credit for this saying, but I have never seen a solid citation. Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match located by QI appeared in “The Placer Herald” of Auburn, California on February 3, 1934. The text below occurred as a short filler item. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[1] 1934 February 3, The Placer Herald, (Untitled filler item), Quote Page 1, Column 6, Auburn, Placer County, California. (Newspapers_com)

Every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.
Selected.

The term “selected” meant that the statement had been reprinted from an unnamed book or periodical. None of the early instances found by QI provided an ascription. Thus, the originator remains anonymous.

Ralph Waldo Emerson who died in 1882 received credit by 1955. The long delay and the lack of a contemporary source means that the supporting evidence for the attribution to Emerson is not substantive at this time.

Additional details are available in the article on the Medium platform which is available here.

Image Notes: Illustration of a clock with waves symbolizing intense activity from Gerd Altmann at Pixabay. Image has been cropped and resized.

Acknowledgement: Great thanks to Nick Prudent and Z Zoccolante whose twitter thread in 2016 led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration.

References

References
↑1 1934 February 3, The Placer Herald, (Untitled filler item), Quote Page 1, Column 6, Auburn, Placer County, California. (Newspapers_com)

Quote Origin: Be Careful About Reading Medical Books. You May Die of a Misprint

Mark Twain? Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.? Markus Herz? Ernst Freiherr von Feuchtersleben? Walter C. Alvarez? Anonymous?

Question for Quote Investigator: All kinds of medical advice is available on the internet. However, the quality is variable, and some of the recommendations are deleterious. A pertinent quip has been circulating for decades. Here are two versions:

(1) Never read medical books. You might die of a misprint.
(2) Be careful when you’re reading health books. You may die of a misprint.

This remark has been attributed to the famous humorist Mark Twain and the prominent U.S. physician Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., but I have not found any solid citations. Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match located by QI appeared in the German periodical “Der Gesellschafter oder Blätter für Geist und Herz” (“The Companion or Pages for Mind and Heart”) in 1817. The following excerpts in German are followed by translations into English. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[1]1817 October 18, Periodical: Der Gesellschafter oder Blätter für Geist und Herz (The Companion or Pages for Mind and Heart), Article: Der Schluß folgt (The ending follows), Quote Page 683, Column … Continue reading

Zu einem Patienten, dem es zur Gewohnheit geworden war: durch medizinische Hülfsbücher sich selbst helfen zu wollen, sagte der verstorbene Dr. Herz: Nehmen Sie sich in Acht, Sie sterben einmal an einem Druckfehler!

The late Dr. Herz said to a patient who had become accustomed to trying to cure himself with medical manuals: “Be careful, you’re going to die one day from a printing error!”

In 1818 the full name of the doctor was specified as Marcus Herz in a short item printed in “Die Leuchte: Ein Zeitblatt für Wissenschaft, Kunst und Leben” (“The Lamp: A Journal for Science, Art and Life”):[2]1818 May 27, Periodical: Die Leuchte: ein Zeitblatt für Wissenschaft, Kunst und Leben (The Lamp: A Journal for Science, Art and Life), Section: Allerlei aus Abu Taleb’s Miscellanenhefte (All … Continue reading

„Der stirbt noch an einem Druckfehler!” sagte Marcus Herz von einem, der sich aus Büchern kurirte.

“This one is going to die of a misprint!” said Marcus Herz of one who cured himself from books.

Markus Herz (also spelled Marcus Herz) was a prominent German physician and lecturer who died in 1803. Thus, these attributions occurred posthumously which reduced their credibility. Nevertheless, Markus Herz is the leading candidate for creator of this quip.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. who died in 1894 received credit for the joke by 1939. Mark Twain who died in 1910 received credit by 1972. In both cases, this evidence is weak.

Additional details are available in the article on the Medium platform which is available here.

Image Notes: Portrait of The Apothecary by Gabriël Metsu circa 1651–67. This public domain image has been resized.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Ken Hirsch who posted about this topic back in 2010 on the mailing list of the American Dialect Society. Hirsch located a crucial citation crediting Markus Herz in 1841 together with other helpful citations which he shared via the Mark Twain Wikiquote Talk webpage. Also, thanks to researcher Barry Popik who explored this topic and posted his results in 2012. Popik shared excellent citations for Herz, Holmes, and Twain. Further, thanks to Fred Shapiro whose benchmark reference “The New Yale Book of Quotations” contains the 1841 citation.

Special thanks to Chris Waigl, Dan Goncharoff, and Amy West who provided advice regarding the German to English translations. Additional thanks to Google and DeepL for their translation systems. All errors are the responsibility of the Quote Investigator.

 

References

References
↑1 1817 October 18, Periodical: Der Gesellschafter oder Blätter für Geist und Herz (The Companion or Pages for Mind and Heart), Article: Der Schluß folgt (The ending follows), Quote Page 683, Column 2, Publisher: In der Maurerschen Buchhandlung, Berlin, Germany. (Google Books Full View) link
↑2 1818 May 27, Periodical: Die Leuchte: ein Zeitblatt für Wissenschaft, Kunst und Leben (The Lamp: A Journal for Science, Art and Life), Section: Allerlei aus Abu Taleb’s Miscellanenhefte (All Sorts of Things from Abu Taleb’s Miscellaneous Notebooks), Quote Page 167, Column 2, Publication: Berlin, Germany. (Google Books Full View) link

Quote Origin: Normality is a Well-Paved Street; It Is Good for Walking, But No Flowers Will Grow There

Vincent van Gogh? Sarah Harding? Anonymous? Apocryphal?

Question for Quote Investigator: Conforming to social norms is much easier than following a divergent, colorful, and eccentric pathway through life. This notion has been expressed as follows:

Normality is a paved road; it’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.

The famous Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh has received credit for this statement, but I have become skeptical because I have never seen a solid citation. Would you please explore his topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The website of the Van Gogh Museum of Amsterdam has an extensive database of letters from Vincent Van Gogh with English translations. QI performed many search queries on this database and was unable to locate a match for the quotation within the database.

Van Gogh died in 1890, and the earliest match known to QI appeared in a 2009 exhibition catalog titled “Vincent Van Gogh: Between Earth and Heaven: The Landscapes” from the Kunstmuseum Basel in Switzerland. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[1]2009, Vincent Van Gogh: Between Earth and Heaven: The Landscapes, Exhibition Catalog from Kunstmuseum Basel in Basel, Switzerland, With contributions by Carel Blotkamp, Gottfried Boehm, Bernhard … Continue reading

“Normality is a well-paved street; it is good for walking—but no flowers will grow there.”
Vincent van Gogh

The quotation occurred on the front flap of the dust jacket. It did not appear in the main body of the book. Unfortunately, no citation was provided. At present, QI would not ascribe this statement to Vincent van Gogh because this evidence is too weak. The creator remains anonymous. Perhaps a future researcher will uncover a superior citation.

Additional details are available in the article on the Medium website which is available here.

Image Notes:  Public domain image of “Irises” by Vincent van Gogh circa 1898. Image has been cropped and resized.

Acknowledgements: Great thanks to Zero Dean, Sonneta, Jaco Artist, Randy Wagner, Simon de Swardt, and Craig Good whose inquiries led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration. Many thanks to Nina Gilbert, Jeanne Schramm, and Dan Bye for their insightful discussion of this topic on the Project Wombat mailing list. Special thanks to Dan Bye who accessed “Vincent Van Gogh: Between Earth and Heaven: The Landscapes”. Bye located the quotation on the front flap. He also examined the rest of the book and found that the quotation was absent from the main text. Additional thanks to Jane Bella who independently searched the database of letters at the Van Gogh Museum website and found no matches.

References

References
↑1 2009, Vincent Van Gogh: Between Earth and Heaven: The Landscapes, Exhibition Catalog from Kunstmuseum Basel in Basel, Switzerland, With contributions by Carel Blotkamp, Gottfried Boehm, Bernhard Mendes Bürgi, Laura Coyle, Walter Feilchenfeldt, Seraina Werthemann, and Nina Zimmer, Quotation appears on front flap of dustjacket, Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern, Germany. (Verified with scans; thanks to Dan J. Bye)

Quote Origin: From Beasts We Scorn as Soulless, In Forest, Field and Den

M. Frida Hartley? William Ralph Inge? Jan Bryant Bartell? Anonymous?

Question for Quote Investigator: A verse condemning cruelty toward animals begins with the following two lines:

From beasts we scorn as soulless,
In forest, field and den

This verse has been attributed to British social activist M. Frida Hartley and influential Anglican priest William Inge. I have not yet found a definitive citation. Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match located by QI appeared in “The Spectator” magazine of London in 1928 within the literary supplement section. M. Frida Hartley published a poem titled “Hymn of Pity for Broken Birds and Beasts” which was composed of five verses of eight lines each. The second verse contained the following lines. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[1] 1928 March 24, The Spectator, Section: Spectator Literary Supplement, Hymn of Pity for Broken Birds and Beasts, M. Frida Hartley, Quote Page 461, Column 1, London, England. (ProQuest)

For creatures of Thy making
Old laws assigned for use,
New freedom stands proclaiming
Their rights and our abuse:
From beasts we scorn as soulless,
In forest, field and den,
The cry goes up to witness
The soullessness of men.

QI believes that M. Frida Hartley deserves credit for the quotation under examination. William Inge incorrectly received credit many years later.

Additional details about this verse are available in an article on the Medium platform which is available here.

Image Notes: Painting titled “Apes in the Orange Grove” by Henri Rousseau circa 1910. Image has been resized.

Acknowledgement: Great thanks to Samson Fernendez whose inquiry led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration.

References

References
↑1 1928 March 24, The Spectator, Section: Spectator Literary Supplement, Hymn of Pity for Broken Birds and Beasts, M. Frida Hartley, Quote Page 461, Column 1, London, England. (ProQuest)

Quote Origin: The Creative Adult Is a Child Who Has Survived

Ursula K. Le Guin? Robin W. Winks? Julian F. Fleron? Apocryphal?

Question for Quote Investigator: Critics of childrearing practices complain that the imagination and creativity of children is carelessly discouraged. This notion has been encapsulated with the following adage:

The creative adult is a child who has survived.

The prominent science fiction and fantasy writer Ursula K. Le Guin has received credit for this saying; however, she has adamantly disclaimed the statement. Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match located by QI appeared in the 1983 tourist book “An American’s Guide To Britain” by Robin W. Winks. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[1] 1983, An American’s Guide To Britain by Robin W. Winks, Revised Edition, Chapter: Introduction, Quote Page xi, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York. (Verified with scans)

An excellent writer of science fiction, Ursula LeGuin, has written that the creative adult is a child who has survived. In this sense of the word, this book is meant to appeal to the child in most of us — for when we are truly an adult, we will also be dead.

Winks credited Le Guin, but he did not use quotation marks. Thus, the statement may have reflected his attempt to paraphrase Le Guin. Currently, Winks is the leading candidate for creator of the saying although the coinage was inadvertent. Also, it remains possible that Winks was simply repeating the misquotation from a previous writer.

QI conjectures that the statement was derived from an imprecise reading of a 1974 essay by Ursula Le Guin titled “Why Are Americans Afraid of Dragons?” published in “PNLA Quarterly”. Le Guin defended the imagination employed in “fairy-tale, legend, fantasy, science fiction, and the rest of the lunatic fringe”. She praised children’s librarians because they also welcomed this type of fiction:[2]1974 Winter, PNLA Quarterly, Volume 38, Why Are Americans Afraid of Dragons? by Ursula K. Le Guin, Note: Essay based on a talk given at the 1973 PNLA Conference in Portland, Oregon, Start Page 14, … Continue reading

They believe that maturity is not an outgrowing, but a growing up; that an adult is not a dead child, but a child who survived. They believe that all the best faculties of a mature human being exist in the child, and that if these faculties are encouraged in youth they will act well and wisely in the adult, but if they are repressed and denied in the child they will stunt and cripple the adult personality.

And finally they believe that one of the most deeply human, and humane, of these faculties is the power of imagination; so that it is our pleasant duty, as librarians, or teachers, or parents, or writers, or simply as grownups, to encourage that faculty of imagination in our children . . .

The quotation under examination was not present in the passage above, but an inattentive reader who was attempting to condense and simplify Le Guin’s words might have generated the saying.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Continue reading Quote Origin: The Creative Adult Is a Child Who Has Survived

References

References
↑1 1983, An American’s Guide To Britain by Robin W. Winks, Revised Edition, Chapter: Introduction, Quote Page xi, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York. (Verified with scans)
↑2 1974 Winter, PNLA Quarterly, Volume 38, Why Are Americans Afraid of Dragons? by Ursula K. Le Guin, Note: Essay based on a talk given at the 1973 PNLA Conference in Portland, Oregon, Start Page 14, Quote Page 17, Column 2, Pacific Northwest Library Association, Eugene, Oregon. (Verified with scans from FIU Florida International University via Interlibrary Loan)

Quote Origin: A House Without Books Is Like a Body Without a Soul

Marcus Tullius Cicero? G. K. Chesterton? Henry Ward Beecher? Mrs. Ashton Yates? John Lubbock? William Forsyth? William Lucas Collins? Apocryphal?

Question for Quote Investigator: The most attractive room in a large house is the library. Here are three versions of a germane adage:

(1) A house without books is like a body without a soul.
(2) Without books, a house is but a body without a soul.
(3) A room without books is like a body without a soul.

This saying has been attributed to the ancient Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero and to prominent English author G. K. Chesterton. I have become skeptical because I haven’t been able to find a good citation. Would you please help me

Reply from Quote Investigator: QI has found no evidence that Cicero crafted this adage; however, he did write something pertinent in a letter to Titus Pomponius Atticus. Here is the original Latin following by a translation from Eric Otto Winstedt of Magdalen College, Oxford. Tyrannio was Cicero’s servant librarian. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[1]1912, Cicero: Letters to Atticus, English Translation by E. O. Winstedt (Magdalen College, Oxford), Volume 1 of 3, Letter VIII, Cicero To Atticus, Greeting, Quote Page 292 and 293, William Heinemann, … Continue reading

Postea vero quam Tyrannio mihi libros disposuit, mens addita videtur meis aedibus. Qua quidem in re mirifica opera Dionysi et Menophili tui fuit. Nihil venustius quam illa tua pegmata, postquam mi sillybis libros illustrarunt.

Since Tyrannio has arranged my books, the house seems to have acquired a soul: and your Dionysius and Menophilus were of extraordinary service. Nothing could be more charming than those bookcases of yours now that the books are adorned with title-slips.

QI conjectures that the adage and attribution to Cicero were inattentively derived from the passage above. The ascription to G. K. Chesterton appeared in the 21st century and is unsupported.

Additional detailed information is available in the full article on the Medium website which is available here.

Image Notes: Public domain image of a fresco fragment from the Palazzo Mediceo, Milan depicting young Cicero reading. Image has been cropped and resized.

Acknowledgement: Great thanks to Jane Bella whose message led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration. Bella helpfully pointed to an article on this topic at the IN REBVS Blog which contained the original Latin statement written by Cicero. Thanks also to the 1888 querent in “Notes and Queries” who also pointed to Cicero’s Latin statement.

References

References
↑1 1912, Cicero: Letters to Atticus, English Translation by E. O. Winstedt (Magdalen College, Oxford), Volume 1 of 3, Letter VIII, Cicero To Atticus, Greeting, Quote Page 292 and 293, William Heinemann, London. (Google Books Full View) link

Everything in the Universe Has a Rhythm. Everything Dances

Maya Angelou? Celia Caroline Cole? Friedrich Nietzsche? George Martin? Michael Frisby? Anonymous?

Question for Quote Investigator: The Earth has natural rhythms such as the high and low tides of the ocean. The sky also has rhythms such as the oscillating electromagnetic radiation from a pulsar. Here is a saying on this theme:

Everything in the universe has a rhythm; everything dances.

These words have been attributed to the prominent U.S. writer Maya Angelou. I have been unable to find a citation. Would you please help me?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The notion that everything in the universe is dancing has a long history. For example, Friedrich Nietzsche applied this metaphor in his opus “Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None” which was composed in the 1880s. Nietzsche’s character Zarathustra contemplated the universe in the following passage. Thomas Common performed the translation from German. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[1]1916, Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None, Friedrich Nietzsche, Translated by Thomas Common, Section: Before Sunrise, Quote Page 201, The Macmillan Company, New York. (Google Books Full … Continue reading

That thou art to me a dancing-floor for divine chances, that thou art to me a table of the Gods, for divine dice and dice-players!

A strong match for the first statement of the inquiry occurred in 1922 in “The Delineator” journal of New York within an article by Celia Caroline Cole:[2]1922 April, The Delineator, Volume 100, Number 3, What’s All the Shootin’ For? by Celia Caroline Cole, Start Page 57, Quote Page 57, Column 2, Butterick Publishing Company, New York. (Verified … Continue reading

Everything in the universe has rhythm: The rising and the setting of the sun, the ebb and flow of the sea, the coming of the stars, the seasons. They go out in order to come in—rhythmical, measured order.

Maya Angelou employed the phrase “everything in the universe has a rhythm” during an interview in 1973, and she stated that “everything dances” in 1974. Thus, Angelou used both statements, but QI has not yet found direct evidence that she employed them contiguously.

Additional detailed citations are presented in the full article on the Medium platform which is available here.

Image Notes: Painting titled “Three Dancers in an Exercise Hall” by Edgar Degas circa 1880. Image has been cropped and resized.

Acknowledgement: Great thanks to Tom Callens whose inquiry led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration.

References

References
↑1 1916, Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None, Friedrich Nietzsche, Translated by Thomas Common, Section: Before Sunrise, Quote Page 201, The Macmillan Company, New York. (Google Books Full View) link
↑2 1922 April, The Delineator, Volume 100, Number 3, What’s All the Shootin’ For? by Celia Caroline Cole, Start Page 57, Quote Page 57, Column 2, Butterick Publishing Company, New York. (Verified with scans) link

It Is Better To Deserve Honors and Not Have Them Than To Have Them and Not Deserve Them

Mark Twain? Humphry Davy? Robert G. Ingersoll? Cato the Elder? Hugh M‘Neile? Cassius Marcellus Clay? Thomas Fuller?

Question for Quote Investigator: A person of great merit may not receive any recognition while an unworthy person may receive numerous accolades. This perverse disconnection has inspired the following ethical stance:

It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.

This notion has been attributed to famous U.S. humorist Mark Twain, prominent U.S. orator Robert G. Ingersoll, and noteworthy British chemist Humphry Davy. Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match known to QI occurred in the writings of electrochemist Sir Humphry Davy who died in 1829. His brother John Davy published “Memoirs of the Life of Sir Humphry Davy” in 1836. This work contained excerpts from letters and notes penned by Humphry. Here were three items from him. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[1] 1836, Memoirs of the Life of Sir Humphry Davy by His Brother John Davy, Volume 2 of 2, Chapter 2, Quote Page 68, Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Longman, London. (Google Books Full View) link

“It is better to deserve honours and not to have them, than to have them and not deserve them.”

“Pride makes men entertaining only to themselves: vanity makes them entertaining to others.”

“Science, unlike literature, is independent of taste or caprice.”

Based on current evidence, Humphry Davy authored this quotation. Robert G. Ingersoll employed an instance during a speech on 1899, and Mark Twain wrote it in one of his notebooks in 1902 after it was already in circulation.

Additional detailed information is available in the article on the Medium website which is available here.

Image Notes: Public domain illustration of “The Fidelity Medallion”, a commemorative U.S. military award created in 1780. Picture from “The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution” in 1851.

Acknowledgement: Great thanks to Luther Mckinnon, Paul’s Jokes, and Ralph Nelson Willett whose twitter thread and inquiry led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration. Thanks to Guy Gavriel Kay who pointed out the relevance of the remark ascribed to Cato the Elder.

References

References
↑1 1836, Memoirs of the Life of Sir Humphry Davy by His Brother John Davy, Volume 2 of 2, Chapter 2, Quote Page 68, Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Longman, London. (Google Books Full View) link