Henry David Thoreau? William Ellery Channing? Apocryphal?
Dear Quote Investigator: When you are pursuing a goal you should be guided by conscious and unconscious thoughts. These two complementary elements will each take you part of the way to the goal. As you approach the objective you must make a leap in the dark to attain success.
Philosopher and poet Henry David Thoreau said something like this. Would you please help me to find a citation.
Quote Investigator: On March 11, 1859 Thoreau wrote the following in his journal. Boldface added to excepts by QI:[ref] 1906, The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, Edited by Bradford Torrey, Journal: March 2, 1859 to November 30, 1859, Volume 12, Date: March 11, 1859, Start Page 35, Quote Page 39, Houghton Mifflin and Company, Boston, Massachusetts. (Google Books Full View) link [/ref]
We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success.
Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.
Anatole France? Bertrand Russell? W. Somerset Maugham? Oliver Goldsmith? J. A. Schmit? Laurence J. Peter? Apocryphal?
Dear Quote Investigator: Fifty million people may parrot a false or foolish statement, but that will not metamorphose it into a true or sensible remark. Here are two instances in this family of statements:
If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.
If forty million people say a foolish thing, it does not become a wise one
This saying has been attributed to French Nobel Prize-Winning author Anatole France, British philosopher Bertrand Russell, and English novelist W. Somerset Maugham. Would you please explore this topic?
Quote Investigator: A semantically similar remark was penned by novelist Oliver Goldsmith in “The Vicar of Wakefield” in 1766. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[ref] 1766, The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith, Part 2 of 2, Chapter 8, Quote Page 121, Printed by B. Collins for F. Newbery, London. (Eighteenth Century Collections Online ECCO) link [/ref]
. . . the united voice of myriads cannot lend the smallest foundation to falsehood.
A separate QI article about the expression above is available here.
In 1874 another semantic match appeared in an article by J. A. Schmit published in the “Revue Catholique” of Louvain, Belgium. Here is the original statement in French followed by one possible translation into English:[ref] 1874, Revue Catholique, Volume 37, La Dogmatique Révolutionnaire by J. A. Schmit, Start Page 513, Quote Page 525, Aux Bureaux De La Revue, Louvain, Belgium. (Google Books Full View) link [/ref]
. . . la vérité est qu’une sottise, même après avoir passé par un million de bouches, n’en reste pas moins une sottise.
. . . the truth is that a stupidity, even after having passed through a million mouths, does not become less foolish.
In 1890 an article in a journal of the Theosophical Publishing Company in London contained a related observation:[ref] 1890 February 15, Lucifer: A Theosophical Magazine, Volume 5, Number 30, Edited H. P. Blavatsky & Annie Besant, Metaphor by Charles E. Benham, Start Page 505, Quote Page 508, The Theosophical Publishing Company, London. (Google Books Full View) link [/ref]
. . . the fact remains that if a million people believe a thing, it neither makes it true nor false. What right, then, have we to found anything on an assumption?
In 1900 Anatole France printed a germane remark about foolishness within a piece in “Le Figaro” newspaper of Paris.[ref] 1900 July 11, Le Figaro, Histoire Contemporaine: Chez la Baronne by Anatole France, Quote Page 1, Column 2, Paris, France. (Gallica BNF Bibliothèque nationale de France) [/ref] The piece was part of his novel titled “Monsieur Bergeret à Paris” which was published during the following year:[ref] 1901, Histoire contemporaine: Monsieur Bergeret à Paris by Anatole France, Quote Page 366, Calmann Levy, Paris, France. (Gallica BNF Bibliothèque nationale de France) [/ref] The crucial remark was spoken by a character named Henri Léon who was unhappy with the prevalence of foolishness, but he seemed resigned to its presence. Here is the original French followed by a translation:
Et si nous ne sommes pas bêtes, il faut faire comme si nous l’étions. C’est encore la bêtise qui réussit le mieux en ce monde. Les hommes d’esprit sont des sots. Ils n’arrivent à rien.
And if we are not stupid, we must act as if we are. It is still foolishness that succeeds the best in this world. Intelligent men are fools. They are not getting anywhere.
In 1901 W. Somerset Maugham penned a close match to the saying under examination in one of his personal notebooks:[ref] 1949, A Writer’s Notebook by W. Somerset Maugham, Year: 1901, Quote Page 76, Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York. (Verified with scans) [/ref]
If forty million people say a foolish thing it does not become a wise one, but the wise man is foolish to give them the lie.
The phrase “to give them the lie” here means “to show them that the foolish thing is inaccurate or untrue”. Maugham’s 1901 remark was published in 1949 many years after it was written.
Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.
Dear Quote Investigator: In the Internet Age a falsehood is sometimes repeated incessantly and propagated across the world. Yet, the collective voice of one million people cannot transform a falsehood into a truth. This insight has a long history. The prominent Anglo-Irish novelist and playwright Oliver Goldsmith said something like this in the 1700s. Would you please help me to find a citation.
Quote Investigator: In 1766 Oliver Goldsmith published the novel “The Vicar of Wakefield” which contained the following statement. Boldface added to excerpts:[ref] 1766, The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith, Part 2 of 2, Chapter 8, Quote Page 121, Printed by B. Collins for F. Newbery, London. (Eighteenth Century Collections Online ECCO) link [/ref]
. . . the united voice of myriads cannot lend the smallest foundation to falsehood.
Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.
Emil M. Cioran? W. H. Auden? Louis Kronenberger? Richard Howard? Apocryphal?
Dear Quote Investigator: Humans experience many tragedies, but contemplating the extreme hardships faced by other creatures provides a sobering perspective. The Romanian and French literary figure Emil M. Cioran said something like the following:
What would be left of our tragedies if an insect were to present us his?
Would you please help me to find a citation:
Quote Investigator: In 1952 Emil M. Cioran published “Syllogismes de l’amertume”. The title of this French book has been translated into English as “All Gall Is Divided” although a more direct rendering is “Syllogisms of Bitterness”. The following passage is from the 2013 Kindle edition:[ref] 2013 (1952 Copyright), Title: Cioran: Syllogismes de l’amertume (Syllogisms of Bitterness or All Gall Is Divided), Author: E. M. Cioran (Emil Mihai Cioran), Section: Aux sources de vide (Where the Void Begins), Location: “Insectes” is located at 1227 of 1434, Publisher: Édition Électronique, Éditions Gallimard, Paris, France. (Kindle Edition) [/ref]
Quand Eschyle ou Tacite vous semblent trop tièdes, ouvrez une Vie des Insectes – révélation de rage et d’inutilité, enfer qui, heureusement pour nous, n’aura ni dramaturge ni chroniqueur. Que resterait-il de nos tragédies si une bestiole lettrée nous présentait les siennes?
Richard Howard formulated the following translation:[ref] 2012, All Gall Is Divided: The Aphorisms of a Legendary Iconoclast by E. M. Cioran, Translated by Richard Howard, Section: Where the Void Begins, Unnumbered Page, Arcade Publishing, New York. (Verified with ebook) [/ref]
When Aeschylus or Tacitus seems tepid, open a Life of the Insects — a revelation of rage and futility, an inferno which, fortunately for us, will have neither a playwright nor a chronicler. What would remain of our tragedies if a literate bug were to offer us his?
Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.
Ralph Waldo Emerson? Nike Advertisement? Janet Champ? Charlotte Moore? Wieden & Kennedy? Pam Finger?
Dear Quote Investigator: Some people fear that their genes or social circumstances will restrict their life options and push them inexorably toward a foreordained destiny. An inspirational message presents a radically different viewpoint:
The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.
This notion has been credited to transcendental philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, but I am skeptical of this attribution because I have never seen a solid citation. Would you please explore this topic?
Quote Investigator: The earliest match located by QI appeared in the advertising copy for a campaign launched by the footwear and apparel company Nike. A four-page spread appeared in the October 1991 issue of “Vogue” magazine. The ad text began with the following statement:[ref] 1991 October, Vogue, Volume 181, Issue 10, (Nike Advertisement), Start Page 206, Quote Page 207, Condé Nast, New York. (ProQuest) [/ref]
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE YOUR MOTHER UNLESS SHE IS WHO YOU WANT TO BE.
The ad text also included the target quotation:
SO IF YOU INHERIT SOMETHING, INHERIT THEIR STRENGTH. IF YOU INHERIT SOMETHING, INHERIT THEIR RESILIENCE. BECAUSE THE ONLY PERSON YOU ARE DESTINED TO BECOME IS THE PERSON YOU DECIDE TO BE.
The same advertisement appeared in other periodicals such as the December 1991 issue of “Cosmopolitan” magazine.[ref] 1991 December, Cosmopolitan, Volume 211, Issue 6, (Nike Advertisement), Start Page 120, Quote Page 121, Hearst Communications, New York. (ProQuest)[/ref]
In 1992 a brief piece in the “USA Weekend” newspaper section examined the question of who created the advertising campaign for Nike:[ref] 1992 October 17, The Republic, Section: USA Weekend, Who’s News by Lorrie Lynch, Quote Page 2, Column 1, Columbus, Indiana. (Newspapers_com) [/ref]
Women, of course. Janet Champ and Charlotte Moore of the Portland, Ore.-based ad firm Wieden & Kennedy created the print ads — which men probably don’t get. “The only intention” of the campaign, which has won national awards, “is to empower women to be whatever they want,” Moore says. “And to make them feel good about being female.”
Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.
W. C. Fields? Franklin P. Adams? H. L. Mencken? Richard Croker? Franklin D. Roosevelt? Will Rogers?
Dear Quote Investigator: There is a family of sardonic sayings about the behavior of voters. Here are three examples:
I never vote for anybody. I always vote against.
People vote against somebody rather than for somebody.
The people never vote for anything. They always vote against something.
This viewpoint has been attributed to popular columnist Franklin P. Adams, curmudgeonly commentator H. L. Mencken, and star comedian W. C. Fields. Would you please explore this topic?
Quote Investigator: The earliest match located by QI appeared in a Pennsylvanian newspaper in 1893. Richard Croker, a powerful New York City politician, applied the saying to a group of political activists. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[ref] 1893 October 30, Harrisburg Telegraph, (Untitled filler item), Quote Page 2, Column 1, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Newspapers_com) [/ref]
Boss Croker, of Tammany, defines a mugwump as a man who always votes against somebody and never votes for anybody. That’s a pretty clever description.
Franklin P. Adams used an instance of the saying in 1916, but he disclaimed credit for the expression. H. L. Mencken used an instance in 1925, but he also disclaimed credit. A version was ascribed to W. C. Fields in a 1949 biography. Detailed information appears further below.
Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.
Garry Winogrand? Diane Arbus? Sandra S. Phillips? John Dufresne? Apocryphal?
Dear Quote Investigator: A photograph presents a direct representation of a person, object, or landscape. It seems to provide a perfect unmediated description. Yet, photographs can be cryptic, confusing, or misleading. The photographer is typically a purposeful intermediary.
Garry Winogrand who became famous for his street photography made a pertinent observation. Here are three versions:
There is nothing as mysterious as a fact clearly described.
Nothing is quite so mysterious as a thing well-described.
Nothing is so mysterious as a fact clearly stated.
Would you please help me to find the correct phrasing together with a precise citation?
Quote Investigator: An exhibition of Garry Winogrand’s photographs was held from March 15, 1976 to April 2, 1976 at the Grossmont College Gallery in El Cajon, California. The accompanying catalog included an artist statement from Winogrand titled “Understanding Still Photographs”. He began with a quotation and a motto. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[ref] Website: eBay, Auction Item: Garry Winogrand Grossmont College Book 1976, Auction Goal Price: US $500.00, Seller Name: pixelheaad (the letter “a” appears twice), Auction Information Was Updated November 23, 2020, (Auction item was accompanied with photographs. One photograph showed an essay by Garry Winogrand titled “Understanding Still Photographs”), Website description: eBay is a large auction website. (Accessed ebay.com on December 1, 2020) [/ref]
“The fact is the sweetest dream that labor knows.” Robert Frost
There is nothing as mysterious as a fact clearly described.
Winogrand’s short essay included the following statement about the unreality of photographs:
A still photograph is the illusion of a literal description of how a camera saw a piece of time and space.
Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.
Meister Eckhart? C. De B. Evans? Victor Gollancz? George William Target? Sharon Blackie? Apocryphal?
Dear Quote Investigator: Some philosophers believe that mentality is ubiquitous in the universe. Thus, it is possible to assign volition to every entity, and even inanimate objects have a purpose. For example, an apple that falls from a tree might be seeking the ground. The following phrase has been attributed to the German theologian and mystic Meister Eckhart who lived in the 13th and 14th centuries:
A stone also possesses love, and its love seeks the ground.
This viewpoint can also be presented metaphorically and poetically with a non-literal interpretation. Would you please help me to find a citation?
Quote Investigator: In 1924 C. De B. Evans published English translations of works by Meister Eckhart based on manuscripts from a variety of sources including Franz Pfieffer. Sermon Thirty-Five titled “Stand in the Gate” contained the following passage. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[ref] 1956 (1924 Copyright), Meister Eckhart by Franz Pfieffer (German version), Translation into English by C. De B. Evans, (Translation with some omissions and additions), Sermon 35: Stand in the Gate, Start Page 95, Quote Page 96, John M. Watkins, London. (Verified with scans) [/ref]
Knowledge is the flux, for knowledge is hotter than love. But two are better than one. And this knowledge is laden with love. Love is fooled and caught by kindness: in love I hang about the gate turning a blind eye to the authentic vision. Even stones have love, a love that seeks the ground.
Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.
Anatole France? François Rabelais? Michel de Montaigne? Lewis Piaget Shanks? Will Durant? Apocryphal?
Dear Quote Investigator: The French Nobel laureate Anatole France was skeptical of martyrdom. Here are three versions of a statement attributed to him:
To die for an idea is to set a pretty high value on conjectures.
To die for an idea is to put a very high value on one’s opinions.
To die for an idea is to set a rather high price upon guesswork.
Would you please help me to find the original statement in French?
Quote Investigator: In April 1889 Anatole France published a piece in “Le Temps” (“The Times”) newspaper of Paris in which he discussed a book about François Rabelais. France’s essay praised the controversial 16th century satirical writer for maintaining integrity while avoiding execution. The following is a statement from the essay together with one possible translation into English. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[ref] 1889 Avril (April) 21, Le Temps (The Times), La Vie Littéraire: Rabelais by Anatole France, (Discussion of Paul Stapfer’s book “Rabelais, sa personne, son génie, son oeuvre”), Quote Page 2 (Not paginated), Column 3, Paris, France. (BNF Gallica) [/ref]
. . . mourir pour une idée, c’est mettre à bien haut prix des conjectures.
. . . to die for an idea is to place a very high price on conjectures.
Howard Hawks? Martin Kasindorf? Alejandro Jodorowsky? Gene Siskel? Roger Ebert? Apocryphal?
Dear Quote Investigator: Howard Hawks was a leading director during the Golden Age of Hollywood. His oeuvre included “Scarface”, “Bringing Up Baby”, “The Big Sleep”, and “His Girl Friday”. He was never pretentious, and he followed a pragmatic strategy for creating his hugely successful motion pictures.
Hawks stated that he attempted to film three to five great scenes and no annoying or inept scenes. Accomplishing this goal generated an excellent movie. Would you please help me to find the precise phrasing Hawks used to express this thought together with an exact citation?
Quote Investigator: In November 1970 Howard Hawks attended the Chicago Film Festival, and he participated in a discussion with the audience. The interchange was transcribed and edited by Joseph McBride and Michael Wilmington, and it appeared in the 1972 book “Focus On Howard Hawks”.
The comment from Hawks presented below referenced the movie star John Wayne. The pair had created landmark movies such as “Rio Bravo” and “Red River”. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:[ref] 1972, Focus On Howard Hawks, Edited by Joseph McBride, Series: Film Focus, Chapter: A Discussion with the Audience of the 1970 Chicago Film Festival, (Description: Discussion transcribed and edited by Joseph McBride and Michael Wilmington; previously published as “Do I Get to Play the Drunk This Time?: An Encounter with Howard Hawks,” in Sight and Sound, Spring 1971), Start Page 14, Quote Page 18, A Spectrum Book: Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. (Verified with scans) [/ref]
Question: Is there any film which stands out as being particularly satisfying to you?
Answer: … I think probably the last picture that worked out well is your favorite for a while, and then you start thinking about it and you go back a little further. Not that you’re trying to make every scene a great scene, but you try not to annoy the audience. If I can make about five good scenes and not annoy the audience, it’s an awfully good picture. I told John Wayne when we started to work together, “Duke, if you can make two good scenes and not annoy the audience for the rest of the film, you’ll be a star.”
Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.
