motivational quotes

John Milton vs. Francis Bacon

/ Sue Brewton / Leave a comment

Today’s topic is about a quote that is often found falsely attributed to John Milton.  It is popular across the internet and in modern books.

The Misattributed Quote

✘ “He that studieth revenge keepeth his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well.”
John Milton

The Correct Quote

✓ “A man that studieth revenge, keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal, and do well.”
Francis Bacon
“Of Revenge”
The Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral

The Reliable Version

Please note there are two versions of this quote by Francis Bacon.  The more reliable quote begins with the words “A man that” and is found in the essay “Of Revenge” in the book The Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral written by Bacon.  Here is the quote found in the book:

The Quote Found in the Essay “Of Revenge” in the Book, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral, by Francis Bacon

The Quote Found in the Essay “Of Revenge” in the Book, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral, by Francis Bacon

Here is the title page of the book:

Title Page of the Book, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral, by Francis Bacon

Title Page of the Book, The Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral, by Francis Bacon

The Unreliable Version

The quote that begins “He that” was first printed in Baconiana magazine in 1679 under the title Ornamenta Rationalia.  Here is the Baconiana cover page:

Title Page of the 1679 edition of Baconiana Magazine

Title Page of the 1679 edition of Baconiana Magazine

Ornamenta Rationalia is a list of sayings, some made by Bacon and some collected by Bacon from Publius Syrus.  However, it was not expressly written by Bacon but was compiled for the magazine from some of his notes that were collected posthumously.  Here is the title page featuring the publisher’s note:

The Publisher’s Note Found in "Ornamenta Rationalia" Stating It Was Not Expressly Written by Francis Bacon

The Publisher’s Note Found in “Ornamenta Rationalia” Stating It Was Not Expressly Written by Francis Bacon

As the above title page shows, the first part of Ornamenta Rationalia is a collection of sayings from the ancient Latin writer Publius Syrus (correct spelling is Publilius Syrus) which were collected by Bacon.  The second part is a collection of sayings taken from some of Bacon’s writings.  Some of the sentences are verbatim and some are not.  This particular quote is not verbatim as it begins with the words, “He that.”  Here is the quote from Ornamenta Rationalia:

The quote found in "Ornamenta Rationalia." Note the wording is altered, and the second half of the quote is missing.

The quote found in “Ornamenta Rationalia.” Note the wording is altered, and the second half of the quote is missing.

The above excerpt also shows that the latter part of the quote, “which otherwise would heal, and do well,” is deleted.  Since this version was published posthumously and was compiled by someone other than Bacon, it is not the reliable version.  Fortunately, the meaning is not altered by the rewording, but if you’re looking for the exact quote, use the one from the “Of Revenge” essay from the book The Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral written by Bacon and published during his life time.

Statistics

Once again, the quote virus is at work spreading infected information across the universe.  After perusing 95 websites featuring this Francis Bacon quote incorrectly attributed to John Milton, here is what I found:

Percentage Type of Website
43%    Quotes-only
15%    Discussion forums
15%    Social media
12%    Informational (politics, newspapers, magazines, etc.)
8%     Quotes a major feature
4%     Corporate individuals or companies
2%     Academic/educational
1%     Quotes paraphernalia for purchase

As usual, it is the websites specializing in quotes only that make up the largest percentage of misquote offenders.  Hmm . . . there seems to be a pattern here.  If you go back and read all of my previous blog posts, you will see that ALL of them report this same result.  The disturbing thing is that the number of quote websites is growing.  Every three to four months, I notice new quote websites rearing their ugly heads.  After researching quotes for four years, I am very familiar with the names of most of these sites, so when a new one pops up, I spot it immediately.  As a side note, I have noticed that a lot of these sites contain pages that are exact copies of pages from other quote websites, meaning the quotes are in the exact same order featuring the exact same misquotes and the exact same typos.  The bottom line is that a website that specializes in quotes is typically the worst place to get reliable quotes.  This doesn’t make sense, but it seems to be the case.

Contemporary Authors Are Another Source of Misquote Propagation

This misquote is also featured in at least two books of quote collections published in the 21st century.  I also found it in five non-quote books, usually at the beginning of a chapter.

Unfortunately, modern authors use quote websites as a resource to find quotes to include in their books.  So when they inadvertently cite a misquote, their book becomes a new source of quote contamination and helps to perpetuate the spread of this misinformation.

Educators Are Another Source of Misquote Propagation

Some modern-day educators also use quote websites as a resource for quotes to include in their educational literature.  This creates a double jeopardy situation because most people assume if the information is coming from an educator or educational institution, it is accurate.  However, in my research, I have come across misquotes featured on university websites as well as in theses, papers, and books written by professors.  This doesn’t occur often, but it is still disappointing that academic sources like these can contribute to misquote proliferation.

Most Disappointing Find

Another disappointing place where this misquote occurs is on a website offering free books online.  Their John Milton page includes a biography about Milton as well as a list of quotes by him.  Unfortunately, the quote list includes this misquote.  Obviously whoever created this page did not actually read Milton’s books and probably copied the quotes from another source without verifying them.  This is a shame because the overall purpose of this website is meaningful and extremely beneficial; to have a free treasure trove of great literature at your finger tips any time you want it is invaluable.  It is unfortunate that what could be a great educational resource is marred by inaccurate information.

For Sale

Finally, on a lighter note, if you are interested in purchasing flawed merchandise, today’s misquote can be found for sale on the internet.  That’s right folks.  For just $31.95 you can have your own misquote coffee mug.  What a bargain!

Help Kill the Quote Virus

I will conclude with another plea to help stop the madness.  Please share this blog post and/or share my “What You Can Do” page.  Every little bit of shared knowledge makes a difference.

“Be the antidote and don’t misquote.”

©Sue Brewton

Another Erroneous Inspirational Quote—Another Method of Origin

/ Sue Brewton / 4 Comments

Today’s post is about a motivational quote which can be found across the internet falsely attributed to Mark Twain.  Because it currently only appears on a handful of websites, I normally wouldn’t write about it; however, the method by which it is born is unique from all my previous posts and warrants at least a brief discussion.

The Misattributed Quote 

✘ “Courage and perseverance will accomplish success.”
Mark Twain

The Correct Quote

✓ “Courage and perseverance will accomplish success.”
Samuel Watson Royston
“The Enemy Conquered”

The Correct Source

The true source of this quote is the short story “The Enemy Conquered” by Samuel Watson Royston.  Here is the title page:

The Title Page of the Correct Source of the Quote

The Title Page of the Correct Source of the Quote

Here is the quote found in the book:

The Quote Found in "The Enemy Conquered" by Samuel Watson Royston

The Quote Found in “The Enemy Conquered” by Samuel Watson Royston

The Cause of the Misattribution

This quote gets misattributed to Mark Twain because he includes Samuel Watson Royston’s entire short story within his own book The £1,000,000 Bank-Note and Other New Stories.  A perusal of the table of contents would lead one to believe Twain is the author of the story as it does not include a reference to Royston; however, if time is taken to actually read the book, one would find the story is prefaced with a statement by Twain explaining why he included it in his book.  Here is the statement:

Introduction to Royston’s Short Story Where Mark Twain Explains Why He Included It in His Book

Introduction to Royston’s Short Story Where Mark Twain Explains Why He Included It in His Book

Essentially, Twain was compelled to include the work in its entirety to support his scathing critique of it.  The review is so unflattering that he substitutes Royston’s name with G. Ragsdale McClintock.  Here is the disclaimer:

Disclaimer Stating the Name G. Ragsdale McClintock Is a Substitute for the Real Author’s Name

Disclaimer Stating the Name G. Ragsdale McClintock Is a Substitute for the Real Author’s Name

Twain titled the review “A Cure for the Blues” insinuating the work’s inferior style of writing will provide the reader with a laugh.  Obviously, his description of it as a “great work” is sarcastic and not meant to be taken seriously.

This particular misquote was probably initiated by someone who did not actually read the book and assumed all the contents were written by Twain.  Oddly enough, all the websites featuring this misquote are literary in nature except for one which was a blog.  One audio book website actually created a fake, distressed book cover with the title The Curious Book:  A Love Story by Mark Twain.  The surprising thing is that they used the title Twain used to explain why he included another author’s work (see the previous “The Curious Book Complete” image).  One wonders how this could have been overlooked by people who are supposedly avid readers and book enthusiasts.  Clearly no one actually read the book. What a disappointment.

Beware of Anthologies

Although the cause of this type of misquote is not common, I have definitely encountered it more than once in my four years of research.  It usually evolves from books that are collections of works by multiple authors in a particular category.  For example, a book may be an anthology of English poets, and a misquote will arise due to the reader/quoter not double checking which author’s work the quote came from, and as a result William Wordsworth will be credited with words that were actually written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning or some other poet found in the collection.  And, as I have discussed in all my previous posts, just one person publishing a misquote on the internet or in a book will result in propagation of it.

Help Kill the Quote Virus

I will once again conclude with a plea to always get your quotes from a reliable source.  If you cannot find the quote from accompanying detailed source information, do not trust it.  Be especially wary of quotes from internet sources.  As today’s misquote demonstrates, even literary and educational websites are not infallible.  Avoid the quote virus by only using verified quotes.  And remember to

“Be the Antidote and Don’t Misquote.”

©Sue Brewton

Kennedy Morphs into Keats: Another Reason to Get Your Inspirational Quotes from a Reliable Source

/ Sue Brewton / Leave a comment

The topic of today’s post is an inspirational quote that is often misattributed and sometimes misworded.  Follow along as it twists and turns it way around five different people.

The Misattributed Quote and Its Variations

✘ “The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities.  We need men who can dream of things that never were.”
John Keats

✘ “The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities.  We need men who can dream of things that never were and ask, why not.”
Spencer W. Kimball

The Correct Quote

✓ “The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics, whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities.  We need men who can dream of things that never were, and ask why not.”
John F. Kennedy
Speech to the Irish Parliament
Dublin, Ireland
June 28, 1963

Note:  The second sentence of the quote is actually the root of another misquote where George Bernard Shaw morphs into two different Kennedys.  I will discuss that saga below in Part II.

Here is the excerpt from the transcript of John F. Kennedy’s speech:

The Quote Found in the Transcript of John F. Kennedy’s Speech to the Irish Parliament on June 28, 1963

The Quote Found in the Transcript of John F. Kennedy’s Speech to the Irish Parliament on June 28, 1963

Both the transcript and the audio recording of this speech can be found on the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum website (jfklibrary.org).

The quote can be heard 17 minutes and 19 seconds into the audio recording.

Statistics

The quote virus is working overtime on this one.  I surveyed 73 websites featuring this misquote, and gathered the following statistics:

Percentage Type of Website
46%    Quotes-only
14%    Quotes a major feature
31%    Social media
9%     Business or educational institution

The Sources of the Misattribution

As usual, it is the websites dedicated solely to quotes combined with websites presenting quotes as a major feature that make up the largest percentage.  I know I sound like a broken record, but I must reiterate:  never trust a quote that is not from a reliable source.  Just because a website specializes in quotes does not mean it is reliable.  Be extra cautious if the website allows random visitors to add quotes to its collection; these sites are the most notorious for inaccurate quotes.  Make sure detailed source information accompanies the quote.  The name attribution alone is not sufficient.  The information should provide enough detail to enable the reader to easily look it up.

Books

As usual, I found books containing the misquote as well.  There are at least four, and all were published in the recent 2000s.  One is a quotes collection book.  And much like websites, just because a book specializes in quotes does not mean it is reliable.  Before purchasing a quote book, make sure detailed source information is provided for each quote.

Why I Call It a Quote Virus

To illustrate why I call this phenomenon a quote virus, I randomly picked three of the blogs that displayed reblog statistics and counted them.  The first one had 44 reblogs; the second one had 693, and the third one had 730 reblogs.  This is a perfect demonstration of how the quote virus propagates.  In this sample, one person spread the infected quote to 730 people, and those people spread the infection to their followers, and so on and so forth.  I hate to be the ant at the picnic, but never trust a quote that was forwarded to you from a friend on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.  There is a good possibility it is contaminated.

Because the quote virus branched out into two mutations on today’s quote, I’ll have to address it in two parts.  The first part will cover the quote as a whole.  The second part will cover the second sentence only.

Part I – The Entire Quote and Its Causes of Misattribution

The quote as a whole is mostly misattributed to John Keats, but it can also be found misattributed to Spencer W. Kimball, a Mormon leader.  Between the two, it is understandable how Kimball became involved with this quote, which I will explain.  However, how John Keats got connected with it is a conundrum. . . Well, maybe it isn’t.  I have a conjecture about this.  Note the similarity in the names John Keats and John Kennedy.  I suspect that a quote website administrator was copying quotes from an alphabetized list in which Keats occurred just prior to Kennedy, and when the list transitioned from Keats to Kennedy, the transcriptionist did not double check to ensure the quote entered corresponded with the correct person.  And from there, the quote virus took over and spread this misquote all over the universe.  This may sound far-fetched, but I have observed this alphabetical correlation with other misquotes.  I could definitely be off my rocker on this, but I have a feeling I’m not.

The second person associated with this quote is Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985).  He was a leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who made his “Education for Eternity” speech on September 12, 1967 to Brigham Young University faculty and staff.  In this speech, he correctly credits George Bernard Shaw for the line that begins, “see things and. . . say ‘Why’.”  But he incorrectly appends Kennedy’s line that begins, “We need people. . .”  He slightly paraphrases, but it is clear he used Kennedy’s speech as the source for this quote as he prefaces the quote as Kennedy did with the words, “summed up an approach to life.”  Here is the excerpt of Kimball’s speech found on the BYU Faculty Center website (fc.byu.edu):

Excerpt from Spencer W. Kimball’s Speech Showing How He Merged the Words of Kennedy and Shaw

Excerpt from Spencer W. Kimball’s Speech Showing How He Merged the Words of Kennedy and Shaw

Even though Kimball credits Shaw, albeit inaccurately, the quote continues to be misattributed to Kimball.  Additionally, this misquote can be found in other locations on the BYU website which means it will most likely continue to propagate.  But wait . . . the plot thickens.  Over the years, Kimball’s version of the merged Shaw/Kennedy quote has transformed into Kennedy’s original quote, so now Kimball is also credited with Kennedy’s exact words.  This misquote appears to be spreading throughout the Mormon community.  Not only is there a blog by a trio of Mormons that credits Kimball with John F. Kennedy’s exact words but there is a 2009 book about Mormonism with the same misattribution.  Who knew Kennedy could also morph into Kimball?  What a guy!  Let’s hope the quote virus doesn’t infect all the Latter-day Saints.

Part II – How Shaw Morphs into Two Different Kennedys

When Kennedy said, “We need men who can dream of things that never were, and ask why not,” he was referencing a line from a play by George Bernard Shaw.  The first line of the transcript image of John F. Kennedy’s speech above shows that he gives full credit to Shaw for saying other people “see things and . . . say ‘why?’ . . . But I dream things that never were—and I say:  ‘Why not?’”  This line is from part I, act I of Shaw’s play Back to Methuselah.  The first act takes place in the Garden of Eden where the Serpent says this line to Eve.  Here is the excerpt:

Excerpt from Part I, Act I of George Bernard Shaw’s Play, Back to Methuselah, Showing He is the Correct Author

Excerpt from Part I, Act I of George Bernard Shaw’s Play, Back to Methuselah, Showing He is the Correct Author

Because the line “I dream things that never were; and I say ‘Why not?’” is used in John F. Kennedy’s speech, it is often misattributed to him even though he credits Shaw.

To make things even more confusing, Robert F. Kennedy also included the line in some of his speeches.  Even though he too credits Shaw, the quote is still commonly misattributed to Kennedy.  For example, here is an excerpt from his speech delivered at the University of Kansas, March 18, 1968:

Transcript of One of Robert F. Kennedy’s Speeches Showing He Correctly Attributes George Bernard Shaw

Transcript of One of Robert F. Kennedy’s Speeches Showing He Correctly Attributes George Bernard Shaw

This transcript is found on the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum website (jfklibrary.org).

I suspect the reason Robert F. Kennedy is more often misattributed to these words is partly due to Edward Kennedy’s eulogy delivered at Robert’s funeral.  In it Edward cites the line but does not credit Shaw which further reinforces the misconception that Robert was the originator.  Here is the excerpt of the eulogy delivered at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City, June 8, 1968:

Excerpt of Edward Kennedy’s Eulogy Showing He Incorrectly Attributes the Quote to Robert F. Kennedy

Excerpt of Edward Kennedy’s Eulogy Showing He Incorrectly Attributes the Quote to Robert F. Kennedy

This transcript is found on the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum website (jfklibrary.org).

These final lines of the eulogy are correct in that Robert F. Kennedy did indeed say these words within a speech, but they are misleading as they don’t convey that he was quoting Shaw when he said them.

Theodore “Ted” Sorensen (1928–2010)

Because history has proven that it is the orator and not the writer who is celebrated for the memorable words that are born of brilliant oratory, I want to acknowledge Theodore “Ted” Sorensen.  He was John F. Kennedy’s primary speechwriter and played a key role in forming the Kennedy image and legacy.  Not only was he the man behind many of Kennedy’s most memorable lines, but he was an integral part of the administration serving as the president’s special counsel and adviser.

Help Kill the Quote Virus

Once again, we have a serious case of the quote virus infection.  In this episode, the virus splits into different forms.  First John F. Kennedy morphs into John Keats and Spencer W. Kimball; then George Bernard Shaw morphs into Robert F. Kennedy and John F. Kennedy.  Sadly, there is no vaccine for this modern-day pestilence.  Only you, dear reader, can help stop the spread of this sickness.  Share the knowledge with your friends and family.  E-mail this post to them.  E-mail my website link to them.  Refer them to my “What You Can Do” page.  Practice safe quoting by only using verified quotes.  And finally, repeat my newest motto:

“Be the antidote and don’t misquote.”

©Sue Brewton

Two More Reasons to Get Your Inspirational Quotes from Reputable Sources

/ Sue Brewton / Leave a comment

This post concerns an inspirational quote that is often misattributed to Harriet Beecher Stowe and Joan Baez.  Read on to learn who really wrote it.

The Misattributed Quote and Its Variations

✘ “All serious daring starts from within.”
Harriet Beecher Stowe

✘ “All serious daring starts from within.”
Joan Baez

The Correct Quote

✓ “All serious daring starts from within.”
Eudora Welty
One Writer’s Beginnings, chapter III

Here is the quote found in Welty’s One Writer’s Beginnings:

The quote found in chapter III of One Writer’s Beginnings by Eudora Welty

The quote found in chapter III of One Writer’s Beginnings by Eudora Welty

The Sources of the Misattribution

For this misquote, it looks like the quote virus has spread its ugly tendrils to the outer reaches of the universe.  Not only is it found misattributed to Harriet Beecher Stowe but Joan Baez gets credit as well.  Of the 124 websites I looked at featuring this misquote, 66 are websites or web pages strictly dedicated to quotes.  Stowe is the more popular misattribution with 47 occurrences, and Baez receives the remaining 19.  The 58 non-quote websites consist of mostly blogs followed by businesses, women’s topics, education, and quotes paraphernalia for purchase.  There were seven more pages I did not look at as my eyes were bleeding after perusing 124 sites.  So my statistics are less than what is actually out there in cyberspace.  Additionally, I discovered three books of quotes also misattributing the quote to Stowe and Baez; there are most likely others.

Based on the above numbers, quote websites and blogs are the main source of infection for this misquote.  Be very wary when obtaining quotes from these sources.  As I’ve discussed in previous posts, in the age of the internet, all it takes is one website or one book with an erroneous attribution to start a pandemic spreading the misquote far and wide.  This phenomenon occurs because most quote websites derive quotes from other quote websites and quote books and then bloggers get their quotes from these websites and books and so on and so forth.  The result is that people like Eudora Welty don’t get full credit for their amazing words and thoughts.

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

I must confess that before today I was not familiar with Eudora Welty (1909–2001), the true originator of today’s quote.  She was an American author who won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Optimist’s Daughter.  She also received recognition for her literary contributions through various awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1980.  This quote is from her memoir One Writer’s Beginnings.  It is a shame that it is being attributed to other people as she was obviously a remarkable woman whose words should be honored and given proper credit.

Help Kill the Quote Virus

I encourage you to visit my “What You Can Do” page for tips on how to avoid being duped by fake quotes.  And please be sure to share the knowledge.  Once again, I will conclude with my motto:

“Investigate.  Don’t propagate.  Demand integrity in quoting.”

©Sue Brewton

F. Scott Fitzgerald Gets Credit Where Credit Isn’t Due

/ Sue Brewton / Leave a comment

Today’s post concerns a quote that is widely misattributed to F. Scott Fitzgerald.  It appears most commonly on the internet as well as in a few modern books.

The Misattributed Quote

✘ “Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Correct Quote

✓ “Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.”
Eric Roth
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button screenplay
Dir. David Fincher
Paramount Pictures, 2008.

The Cause of the Misattribution

The correct author of this quote is the screenwriter, Eric Roth, who wrote the screenplay for the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which is based on the short story of the same name written by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Obviously the confusion stems from two different works, a screenplay and a short story, having the same title.  It should be noted that even though a screenplay is based on a book or a short story, that does not mean it will contain the same narration or dialogue.  In this case, the quote appears in the screenplay only which means Eric Roth is the correct source.

The Sources of the Misattribution

After analyzing 88 websites featuring this misquote, I found that 37% are quote websites, and 35% are blogs.  The remaining 28% are either book websites or social media sites.

Note that quote websites make up the largest percentage.  This demonstrates that you should never trust a quote from a quote website.  Although it would seem that a site specializing in such a narrow subject matter would be a reliable resource, in reality it is not.  The quotes featured on these websites are not verified quotes.

Blogs are the second highest percentage, so it goes without saying that they are also not a good resource for quotes.

For Sale

Much like the misquotes in my previous posts, today’s misquote is available for purchase.  It can be found on a site selling wall art, and depending on the size of the decal, the price range is $31.95 to $49.95.  I would say that’s a pretty decent profit for flawed merchandise.

Most Disappointing Find

The most disappointing thing about this misquote is that it appears on websites that celebrate books.  Some of them are strictly dedicated to quotes from books, and some of them feature reviews and discussion about books.  What I find interesting is that readers have posted today’s misquote as their “favorite” quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which they supposedly just finished reading and are now reviewing and commenting on.  I’ve seen posts of this nature on several different websites.  For example, one reader lists ten of her “favorite quotes from some amazing books,” and her second one is today’s misquote complete with a photo of the book.  This person is the primary book reviewer on this website, and clearly she did not really read Fitzgerald’s short story.  One has to wonder how many people are “faking it” on these bibliophile sites.  Being a book lover myself, I’m actually very disheartened by this discovery.

Kill the Quote Virus

In conclusion, what I call the “quote virus” is continuing to spread its germs across the internet.  To learn how you can avoid getting duped and infected by the virus, go to my “What You Can Do” page for a list of pitfalls to avoid.  Please be sure to share the knowledge.  I will close once again with my nerdy little mantra:

Investigate.  Don’t propagate.  Demand integrity in quoting.”

©Sue Brewton

No, that’s not how Benjamin Franklin wrote it.

/ Sue Brewton / Leave a comment

Today’s misworded quote is not as ubiquitous as the one in my previous post; however, it is a good example of how a quote can morph into an entirely different quote as it propagates across the internet and modern literature.  Please note I have underlined the words within the quote that have changed over time.

The Misworded Quote

✘ “Work as if you were to live a thousand years, play as if you were to die tomorrow.”
Benjamin Franklin

The Correct Quote

✓ “Work as if you were to live 100 years, pray as if you were to die to-morrow.”
Benjamin Franklin
Poor Richard’s Almanac, May 1757

Here is the quote found in Poor Richard’s Almanac:

The quote found in Poor Richard’s Almanac, May 1757

The quote found in Poor Richard’s Almanac, May 1757

The Sources of the Misworded Quote

Like all other misquotes floating around in cyberspace, this misquote appears on blogs and social media websites.  But more importantly it rears its ugly head on websites solely dedicated to providing quotes.  One would think websites that appear to be an authority on a very specific topic would provide reliable data.  Unfortunately, this is not true of quote websites.

Additionally, this misworded quote appears in a recently published book of strictly Benjamin Franklin quotes.  Obviously, the author of this book did no research to ensure that only verified quotes were used.  One would think that a book on so narrow a topic would be authoritative and accurate.  The truth is that, much like quote websites, modern quote books are not reliable sources.

Finally, I came across another book recently published about Benjamin Franklin’s life, and the author includes this misquote on the book’s website.  Thankfully, it is not featured in the book itself; otherwise, the book and the author would lose complete credibility.

The only books that can be trusted for quotes are books that include the name of the author/orator of the quote, the work in which the quote is found, AND the location of the quote within the work (e.g. chapter, act, scene, stanza, line).  This last piece of data is important as I have come across many misquotes that attribute the author along with the title of the work when in fact one or both are false.

Most Amusing Find

My most amusing find is a website that sells term papers to students and offers this misquote as a topic to choose from.  I wonder what the profits are from this sham!  The bottom line is you can’t believe everything you read.  Always question the author and the source.

Earwitness Accounts are Not Reliable

To avoid confusion regarding the source of today’s misquote, I want to mention that the first part of the misquote is very similar to another quote commonly attributed to Ann Lee (1736-1784), a Shaker leader and founder of the Shaker Society.  Because she was illiterate and could not write, the only sources available for her quotes are earwitness accounts.  Because each account is slightly different, there are variations of the quote.  Here are two examples:

  • “Do all your work as though you had a thousand years to live, and as though you were going to die to-morrow.”
  • “Do all your work as though you had a thousand years to live, and as you would if you knew you must die to-morrow.”

Obviously, this quote repeats the sentiment of the first half only of today’s misquote, but because they are so similar, be aware that if you search the internet for the misquote, you will probably come across both Franklin and Lee as the source.

Translated Quotes are Not Reliable

I should also mention that there is a Latin quote that has several translations, one of which is extremely similar.  It is:

  • “Work as if you were to live a thousand years, live as if you were to die tomorrow.”

The caveats are that this quote can be found attributed to Ansalus de Insulis, St. Edmund of Abingdon, and unknown, so its origins are sketchy.  And since it is translated from Latin, there are many variations.  The actual Latin wording is Disce ut semper victurus, vive ut cras moriturus.  My research has found these additional translations:

  • “Work as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow.”
  • “Study as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow.”
  • “Learn so that you may be victorious; live so that tomorrow you may be prepared to die.”
  • “Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow.”

The last translation is also commonly attributed to Mahatma Gandhi except the statement order is reversed with the “live as” clause occurring before the “learn as” clause.  So if you decide to do some internet research, be aware that in addition to Benjamin Franklin and Ann Lee, you will also probably find Ansalus de Insulis, St. Edmund of Abingdon, Mahatma Gandhi, and unknown as the source.

Conclusion on Unreliable Quotes

In summary, secondary sources or ear-witness accounts are unreliable and should not be used as direct quotes.  A hearsay quote would be a lot more trustworthy if it were derived from an actual interview that is conducted with the cooperation of the quoted person and is published during his/her lifetime.  Additionally, quotes that are translated from another language are also not reliable.  Every translator has a slightly different interpretation.  And as today’s misquote demonstrates, all it takes is the tweaking of one or two words, and the quote takes on another life.  Two slightly different translations can morph into four slightly different quotes which can morph into eight and so on and so forth.  Yup, it’s that pesky quote virus I’ve been preaching about.  Until someone can invent some kind of vaccine for it, we need to practice safe quoting by only using verified quotes.  So check your sources!  And remember

Investigate.  Don’t propagate.  Demand integrity in quoting.”

©Sue Brewton

No, Louisa May Alcott did not write that.

/ Sue Brewton / Leave a comment

The topic of today’s post is a motivational quote that is not only falsely attributed to Louisa May Alcott but is sometimes taken out of context.  It is very popular on quote websites as well as social media.  My findings are as follows.

The Misattributed Quote

✘ “He who believes is strong, he who doubts is weak.  Strong convictions precede great actions.”
Louisa May Alcott

The Correct Quote

✓ “He who believes is strong, he who doubts is weak.  Strong convictions precede great actions.”
James Freeman Clarke
Common-Sense in Religion: A Series of Essays, chapter XV

The Correct Source

The correct author of this quote is James Freeman Clarke (1810–1888), an American theologian.  His book Common-Sense in Religion: A Series of Essays (James R. Osgood and Company, 1874) features this quote in chapter XV.  Here is the excerpt:

The Correct Quote Found in Chapter XV of Common-Sense in Religion by James Freeman Clarke

The Quote Found in Chapter XV of Common-Sense in Religion by James Freeman Clarke

The Sources of the Misattribution

To see how widespread this misquote is, I did a search on Google, and it returned ten pages worth of websites incorrectly attributing this quote to Louisa May Alcott.  The irony is that the vast majority of them are quote websites or websites presenting quotes as a major feature.  The remaining sites featuring the misquote are mostly blogs and social media.  It even rears its ugly head in an article written by a university professor.  Obviously, these are not good sources for verified quotes.  Never trust a source that does not include details about the quote such as the work in which it is found accompanied by corresponding information such as chapter, act, scene, stanza, line, etc.

For Sale

This particular misquote also appears on a website that is dedicated to creating customized quote paraphernalia such as coffee mugs, posters, awards, etc.  The site provides the quote, and the customer chooses the product on which the quote is to appear.  Although the quote can be edited by the customer, I would imagine most people would assume the information is correct and leave it as is.  One has to wonder how much money is being made on these flawed products.

Out of Context

Finally, I noticed that this misquote oddly appears on several anti-bullying websites.  One of them actually includes it under the category “Famous Bullying Quotes.”  This quote is in fact not about bullying at all.  As mentioned earlier, it is from a book written by the theologian James Freeman Clarke titled Common-Sense in Religion: A Series of Essays in a chapter titled “Common-Sense View of Salvation by Faith.”  Clearly the subject matter is not bullying.  Although the words can be interpreted with an anti-bullying sentiment, to assert they are specifically about bullying is taking the quote out of context.  This is a prime example of how a “quote virus” propagates (yes, I made up that term).  All it took to spread this infection was one person posting this misquote on one anti-bullying website, and from there it multiplied to other anti-bullying websites.  The end result is that there is now a growing number of people in the world who not only believe this is a quote by Louisa May Alcott but also believe it is a famous bullying quote.  And this group of poor, lost souls swirling around in the misquote eddy of despair will only continue to grow.

Final Diagnosis

The final diagnosis is that this quote is showing symptoms of misattribution and erroneous context because it has been infected by the quote virus.  Without intervention, it will continue to spread.  Quick!  Somebody call a doctor!  We need the vaccine!  Oh yeah . . . there is no vaccine.  Well, I guess the next best thing is to educate.  You can help stop this infection from spreading by sharing the knowledge.  Share this post with friends and family, and follow my tips on the “What You Can Do” page.  And remember to

“Investigate.  Don’t Propagate.  Demand integrity in quoting.”

©Sue Brewton