Odd O'blography

Did I Say That?

"If you're not abusing power, then you don't really have any." - Winston Churchill

"A secret is something only one person knows." - Confucius

Everybody loves to quote famous people. It automatically lends an air of authority to whatever point we'd like to make: "See, this important person agrees with me." But a curious thing I've found while doing research to get a famous phrase 'exactly right' is that many famous quotes are misattributed. And many cannot be found in the written works or public records of the supposed source.

One explanation for this could be that people sometimes 'hear' with their hearts instead of with their ears. I have a paperweight with a supposed quote from Ghandi: "You must be the change you want to see in the world." This is very much in line with his views, yet there is disagreement over whether he actually said it. Apparently, that exact phrase cannot be found among his many writings and published speeches.

Another explanation could be a desire to add weight to our own thoughts by attributing them to someone more impressive. Perhaps this shouldn't come as a surprise. A phrase that sounds profound from Confucius or witty from Winston Churchill just seems obvious or pretentious when it comes from a nobody like me. The quotes at the top of this piece, for example. Did you already guess that I made them up? At least I think I did. I haven't found anything exactly like those lines on the google.

Here are a few more sayings that I've made up. Feel free to quote me!

Anger is the first resort of a man embarrassed by being wrong.

There are none so lost as those who follow a lie.

Those who do not learn from the history of tyrants are doomed
to serve those who do.

A moral vacuum abhors nature.

You don't have to be a genius to lie about your IQ.

Iamb, therefore I rhyme.

A poet merely pens a mirror, the reader brings the reflection.

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who wash
after wiping and those who eat crap with their fingers.