Simile Origin: The Mind Is Like an Iceberg; It Floats With One-Seventh of Its Bulk Above Water

Sigmund Freud? G. Stanley Hall? Henry H. Goddard? Julia Turner? Percy Dearmer? Carlos María de Heredia? Woods Hutchinson? Question for Quote Investigator: The subconscious mind has an enormous influence on human behavior. A clever simile juxtaposes a mind and an iceberg. The conscious mind corresponds to the part of the iceberg above the waterline, and …

Quote Origin: One Day in Retrospect the Years of Struggle Will Strike You As the Most Beautiful

Sigmund Freud? C. G. Jung? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Apparently, a famous psychoanalyst once said that when one looks back at one’s life the periods of struggle will be considered the most beautiful. Do you know whether something like this was said by Sigmund Freud or C. G. Jung? Reply from Quote Investigator: In …

Even Paranoiacs Have Real Enemies

Henry Kissinger? Delmore Schwartz? Sigmund Freud? Virginia McManus? Mark Harris? Buck Henry? Joseph Heller? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: A family of sayings with a humorous edge was popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Here were two versions: 1) Even a paranoid can have enemies. 2) Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you. …

The Man Who First Flung a Word of Abuse at His Enemy Instead of a Spear Was the Founder of Civilization

Sigmund Freud? An English Writer? Walt Menninger? Joyce Brothers? Robert Byrne? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: The control and deflection of violent impulses is central to the development of fruitful social interactions. A cogent remark on this topic has been attributed to the acclaimed father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. Here are three versions: 1) The first …

Before You Diagnose Yourself with Depression or Low Self-Esteem…

Sigmund Freud? William Gibson? @debihope? Anonymous? Dear Quotes Investigator: There is a saying about maintaining emotional health that is both heartfelt and sardonic. The words have been attributed to the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and the award-winning science fiction author William Gibson. Here are two versions: Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, …

The Only Unnatural Sex Act Is That Which One Cannot Perform

Alfred Kinsey? Richard Brinsley Sheridan? Xaviera Hollander? William Burroughs? Sigmund Freud? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Years ago I read a statement credited to the researcher Alfred Kinsey who was famous for producing the Kinsey Reports on sexual behavior. I do not remember the exact phrasing but the expression was similar to this: The only unnatural …

Show Me a Sane Man and I Will Cure Him

Carl Jung? Sigmund Freud? Guy Bellamy? Jolande Jacobi? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: As part of a book project I have been tracking down quotations credited to the famed psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung. One of the most interesting was: Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you. The best citation I have …

Sometimes a Cigar Is Just a Cigar

Sigmund Freud? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, was famous for interpreting symbols with special emphasis on the imagery in dreams. In photos he was often shown smoking a cigar, and that is why I always found the following quotation attributed to him very amusing: Sometimes a cigar is just a …