Abraham Lincoln? Thomas Carlyle? Robert G. Ingersoll? Horatio Alger Jr.? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: I saw the following quotation on the website of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum: Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power. Lincoln was credited, but I have seen …
Tag Archives: Thomas Carlyle
The Eternal Stars Shine Out Again, So Soon As It Is Dark Enough
Ralph Waldo Emerson? Martin Luther King Jr.? Emily Faithfull? Amelia Edith Barr? Charles A. Beard? Thomas Carlyle? Norman Vincent Peale? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: There is a popular metaphorical expression that encourages people to maintain hope and optimism during times of unhappiness and trouble. Here are three versions: 1) Only when it is dark enough, …
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The Purpose of Life Is Not To Be Happy But To Matter
Ralph Waldo Emerson? Leo Rosten? Thomas Carlyle? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: On Facebook and the web the following quotation has been circulating widely: The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived …
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Teach a Parrot to Say ‘Supply and Demand’ and You Have an Economist
Thomas Carlyle? Irving Fisher? Joseph Schumpeter? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: There is a humorous saying about parrots and economists that is often attributed to the philosopher and satirist Thomas Carlyle. Sometimes the joke is simply ascribed to Anonymous. Here are three versions: 1: Teach a parrot the terms ‘supply and demand’ and you’ve got an …
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