Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.? Bernard Baruch? Joseph F. Dinneen? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Prescient investors pulled their money out of the U.S. stock market shortly before the crash of 1929. According to a Wall Street legend, a financier who received a stock tip from a shoeshine boy experienced the following epiphany: When a shoeshine … Continue reading "Quote Origin: When a…
Maya Angelou? Oprah Winfrey? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The true character of a person cannot be hidden for a lengthy period behind a mask of deception. Here are two versions of a pertinent saying: (1) When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.(2) When someone shows you who they are … Continue reading "Quote Origin: When People Show You Who They Are, Believe…
John James Audubon? Joseph Cornell? Patricia Holt? Jack Barclay? Birdwatcher’s Proverb? Jack Kornfield? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Much of our knowledge is obtained indirectly through reference books and instruction manuals. Yet, direct observation provides a more accurate guide. Here is pertinent saying from the domain of ornithology: When the bird and the book disagree, ……
Thich Nhat Hanh? Sylvia Boorstein? Peg Bracken? Ollie Crawford? George D. Ludcke? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Humorous sayings can be created by ingeniously transforming mundane expressions. Most people are familiar with the entreaty: Don’t just sit there, do something. However, the following reordered sentence indicates that inaction is often desirable: Don’t just do something, ……
John Ruskin? Douglas Adams? Sydney J. Harris? Paul Harvey? Stanisław Jerzy Lec? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A group that acts in unison can cause enormous positive or negative changes. Each member of a group typically celebrates favorable developments but disavows adverse events. Here are three versions of a pertinent metaphorical adage: (1) No single … Continue reading "Quote…
Maya Angelou? Samuel Johnson? Sheree Crute? Salman Rushdie? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A writer, now celebrated, faced harsh criticism in the early days of her career. She responded by acknowledging that she required greater mental focus to succeed: If I wanted to write, I had to be willing to develop a kind of concentration … Continue reading "Quote Origin: If I Wanted to Write,…
Samuel Johnson? James Boswell? William Dodd? Maya Angelou? Arthur C. Clarke? Vermont Royster? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A prominent literary figure crafted a fascinating statement about concentration. Here are two versions: (1) When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully. (2) Nothing so wonderfully concentrates … Continue reading…
Jane Fonda? Lee Winfrey? David Bassett? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: U.S. actress and activist Jane Fonda spoke on college campuses during the 1970s about the Vietnam War. I have seen claims that Fonda said something like the following: If you understood what communism was … you would pray on your knees that we would … Continue reading "Quote Origin: If You Understood What…
Marvin Minsky? Seymour Papert? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The remarkable breakthroughs in artificial intelligence in the twenty-first century are based on digital neural networks. This area of machine learning was pioneered by Warren McCulloch and Walter Pitts who created an artificial neuron model. Also, researcher Frank Rosenblatt moved the field forward with his work ……
Dick Tuck? Mo Udall? Dick Cavett? Question for Quote Investigator: A disappointed political candidate delivered a provocative concession speech which combined bitterness with humor: The people have spoken—the bastards. This line has been attributed to Dick Tuck who was a campaign strategist, prankster, and fabulist. This statement has also been credited to Arizona politician Mo … Continue reading…