What You Know That Just Aint So Quote Investigator
Marker Twain? Josh Billings? Artemus Ward? Kin Hubbard? Volition Rogers? Anonymous?
Dear Quote Investigator: The Oscar-winning 2015 movie "The Big Short" begins with a display of the following statement:
Information technology ain't what you lot don't know that gets you into problem. It'southward what you know for sure that but ain't so.
The brilliant humorist Mark Twain receives credit, merely I take been unable to discover a solid citation. This quip is very pop. Would you please investigate?
Quote Investigator: Scholars at the Eye for Marker Twain Studies of Elmira Higher have found no noun evidence supporting the ascription to Marking Twain. [1] Website: Center for Mark Twain Studies, Article title: The Apocryphal Twain: "Things We Know That Simply Ain't So.", Commodity writer: Matt Seybold, Date on website: October 6, 2016, … Continue reading
The observation has been attributed to several other prominent humorists including: Josh Billings (pseudonym of Henry Wheeler Shaw), Artemus Ward (pseudonym of Charles Farrar Browne), Kin Hubbard (pen name of Frank McKinney Hubbard), and Will Rogers. Yet, it is unlikely and then any of them said it. The creator remains anonymous based on current evidence.
The saying is difficult to trace because it falls within an evolving family of remarks concerning faulty knowledge and retentiveness. Three processes operate on members of the family to generate new members and ascriptions incrementally:
- Statements are rephrased over time.
- Statements are hybridized together to produce new statements.
- Attributions are shifted from i prominent humorist to another.
The family contains some comments with genuine ascriptions. For example, in 1874 a compendium of wit and sense of humour from Josh Billings was published. The piece of work employed dialectal spelling which causes headaches for mod researchers who are attempting to find matches using standard spelling. The following pertinent item appeared in a section labeled "Affurisms", i.e., "Aphorisms". Emphasis added to excerpts by QI: [2] 1874, Everybody's Friend, Or; Josh Billing'south Encyclopedia and Proverbial Philosophy of Wit and Humor, Section: Affurisms: Sollum Thoughts, Quote Page 286, American Publishing Company, Hartford, … Proceed reading
I honestly beleave it iz meliorate tew know nothing than two know what ain't and then.
Here is the statement written with standard spelling:
I honestly believe it is better to know nothing than to know what ain't and so.
This remark partially matched the proverb under investigation, and it acted as a seed in the evolving family of remarks.
Here are additional selected citations in chronological club.
Billings died in 1885, and in 1899 a religious orator whose words were recorded in the pages of "The Pacific Unitarian" reassigned a rephrased version of the maxim from Billings to Twain: [3] 1899 February, The Pacific Unitarian, Book vii, Number four, Address of Rev. Charles R. Brown, Get-go Page 118, Quote Page 119, Column ii, San Francisco, California. (Google Books Full View) link
Mayhap, as Mark Twain observed, it is better not to know so much than to know so many things that aren't so.
In 1900 "The Dietetic and Hygienic Gazette" printed a statement attributed to Billings with quotation marks surrounding only a segment. The full statement included the key word "trouble" which occurs in the target proverb: [4] 1900 October, The Dietetic and Hygienic Gazette, Volume sixteen, Number 10, Department of Notes and Queries, Outset Page 641, Quote Page 643, The Gazette Publishing Company, New York. (Google Books Full … Keep reading
Upon reading the outset detail we are forcibly reminded of the pertinent and pithy remark of the lamented humorist, Josh Billings, that the trouble with a great many of us is "we know so many things that ain't so."
In 1909 an advert inside a book called "A Drum's Story" ascribed a remark to Twain well-nigh one-time men and retention that independent the fundamental word "problem": [v] 1909, A Drum'southward Story: And Other Tales by Delavan S. Miller, (Advertising material for the author's previous volume: What Henry Haynie Has to Say in the Boston Times of D. S. Millers … Continue reading
Mark Twain once said that "the problem with erstwhile men is they think so many things that ain't so," merely this book of war reminiscences is different from most of Twain's reminiscences.
In 1911 the well-known author M. K. Chesterton implausibly ascribed to humorist Artemus Ward who died in 1867 a statement that partially matched the target: [6] 1911 Oct 14, The Illustrated London News, Our Notebook by Chiliad. K. Chesterton, Commencement Page 615, Quote Page 615, The International News Company, New York. (Google Books Total View) link
1 of the two or three wisest sayings uttered on this aboriginal earth was the remark of Artemus Ward, "It ain't then much men's ignorance that does the impairment as their knowing and so many things that ain't so."
Twain died in 1910, and his friend Albert Bigelow Paine published a multi-volume biography of the luminary in 1912. Paine presented two quotations from Twain that partially matched the maxim being explored: [seven] 1912, Marking Twain: A Biography: The Personal and Literary Life of Samuel Langhorne Clemens past Albert Bigelow Paine, Volume 3 of 4, Chapter 239: Working With Marker Twain, Quote Page 1269, Harper & … Continue reading
"When I was younger I could call up anything, whether it happened or not; but I am getting old, and soon I shall call up only the latter."
At another time he paraphrased one of Josh Billings'due south sayings in the remark: "Information technology isn't so astonishing, the number of things that I can remember, as the number of things I tin think that aren't and so."
In 1913 "The Atlantic Monthly" credited Billings with the same statement that Chesterton ascribed to Artemus Ward in 1911: [viii] 1913 July, The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 112, My Garden Beasts by Lucy Elliot Keeler, Start Folio 134, Quote Page 140, Column 2, The Atlantic Monthly Company, Boston, Massachusetts. (Google Books Full … Keep reading
Ane of the wisest sayings uttered on this aboriginal earth was Josh Billings's remark, 'It ain't and so much men'due south ignorance that does the harm as their knowing so many things that ain't so.'
In 1915 "The Catholic Earth" attributed a similar argument to Billings: [9] 1915 November, The Catholic Globe, Volume 102, Number 608, Some Chapters in the History of Feminine Education by James J. Walsh, Grand.D. Ph.D., Start Folio 194, Quote Page 194, Published by the Paulist … Continue reading
. . . "It is not so much the ignorance of flesh," Josh Billings said, "that makes them ridiculous, equally the knowing so many things that ain't so."
In 1917 a military book titled "The Unwritten History of Braddock's Field" included a chapter by George H. Lamb that credited Twain with a fractional match containing the give-and-take "trouble": [ten] 1917, The Unwritten History of Braddock's Field (Pennsylvania), Prepared by the History Committee Nether the Editorship of Geo. H. Lamb for the Celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Braddock, … Keep reading
Members of the committee were reminded of Mark Twain's dictum, that the problem with reminiscences is non that people know too much, but that they know then many things that aren't and then.
In April 1917 "The Lyceum Magazine" printed another expression attributed to Twain well-nigh "old men" which contained the key word "trouble: [11] 1917 April, The Lyceum Mag, Volume 26, Number 11, Dr. Conwell'southward Talks With Platform Workers past Russell H. Conwell (Honorary President I.50.A.), Quote Folio 26, Cavalcade 2, Chicago, Illinois. … Continue reading
Marker Twain used to say that "the trouble with old men's memories is that they recollect then many things that own't so." Since I heard him say that several times I accept been careful non to state anything unusual lest my friends should remember that Mark Twain's arraignment is true in my case.
In 1921 a slice in "The Land Gentleman" printed a saying ascribed to Billings: [12] 1921 April xvi, The Country Admirer, Where Ignorance Is Mis-: Misrepresentation and Misunderstanding Befuddle Our Revenue enhancement Laws by Harry R. O'Brien, Start Folio 13, Quote Page 13, Column one, The … Go on reading
It ain't and then much people'south ignorance that does the harm as their knowing so darned much that ain't then.—JOSH BILLINGS.
In 1923 B. C. Forbes founder of "Forbes" mag wrote about a speech communication delivered by Francis H. Sisson, vice-president of the Guaranty Trust Visitor of New York: [13] 1923 February 10, The Buffalo Evening Times, Finance and Business by B. C. Forbes, Quote Page 11, Cavalcade 1, Buffalo, New York. (Newspapers_com)
Last evening Mr. Sisson talked to a big gathering of Iowa editors. His theme was the oftentimes-quoted observation of Josh Billings that "the trouble with the American people is not so much their ignorance as the tremendous number of things they know that ain't so."
In 1931 the "Ithaca Periodical-News" of Ithaca, New York printed an expression attributed to Billings that was semantically close to the target maxim: [14] 1931 July 6, Ithaca Journal-News, "Things Which Ain't And so" Past William Trufant Foster and Waddill Catchings , Quote Page four, Column 4, Ithaca, New York. (Newspapers_com)
It ain't what a man don't know-that makes him a fool; it'south the awful sight of things he knows' that ain't so. Josh Billings said something of that sort, and Josh Billings knew what he was talking nearly.
In 1947 the "Janesville Daily Gazette" printed a close syntactic and semantic match ascribed to Twain: [15] 1947 May 21, Janesville Daily Gazette, Editorial Panorama, (Filler item), Quote Page 6, Column two, Janesville, Wisconsin. (Newspapers_com)
It ain't so much the things that people don't know that makes problem in this world, as it is the things that people know that ain't so. — Mark Twain.
In 1958 the grapheme Abe Martin received credit for a saying within this family. Cartoonist Kin Hubbard was the creator of Abe Martin: [16] 1958 March 5, San Francisco Examiner, Health for Today: Facts Distorted Into Fads by Westward. Due west. Bauer M.D. (Manager of Health Instruction American Medical Clan), Section 2, Quote Page 2, Column four, … Continue reading
Abe Martin'southward definition of ignorance was "non so much what a person don't know, equally what he knows that ain't so." And he is certainly correct.
In June 1964 the "Boston Traveler" of Boston, Massachusetts credited Artemus Ward with a strong syntactic and semantic match: [17] 1964 June 26, Boston Traveler, Family Finance: Statistics Can Be Twisted To Fool Unwary by Dick Miller, Quote Page 24, Column iii and 4, Boston, Massachusetts. (GenealogyBank)
Or, as Artemus Ward put it, "it ain't so much the things we don't know that get us into problem. It's the things we know that ain't and then."
In November 1964 Ronald Reagan who later became the U.S. President delivered a speech on television that contained a pertinent instance without attribution: [xviii] 1964 November 2, Ames Daily Tribune, (Political advertisement titled: Did You See Ronald Reagan's TV Speech?), Quote Page eight, Column 4, Ames, Iowa. (Newspapers_com)
Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn't so!
In 1977 "Peter's Quotations: Ideas for Our Time" by Laurence J. Peter credited Kin Hubbard with a version of the saying: [19] 1977, "Peter's Quotations: Ideas for Our Time" by Laurence J. Peter, Topic: Ignorance, Quote Page 260, William Morrow and Company, New York. (Verified with hardcopy)
'Tain't what a man don't know that hurts him; it's what he knows that just ain't so.
—Frank McKinney Hubbard ("Kin Hubbard")
In 1978 "New York Magazine" printed an example together with an unlikely ascription to funny man Will Rogers: [twenty] 1978 July 10, New York Magazine, Volume 11, Number 28, Truthful or False by Randy Cohen, Start Folio 29, Quote Page 30, Published by New York Media, LLC. (Google Books Total View) link
The problem with most people, as Will Rogers observed, is not that they don't know much but that they know so much that isn't true.
In 1983 one-time U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale employed the saying while criticizing President Ronald Reagan. Mondale credited the words to Will Rogers: [21] 1983 June xv, San Francisco Examiner, Demos rebut Reagan over school funds (Associated Press), Quote Page A5, Cavalcade 1, San Francisco, California. (Newspapers_com)
"I keep quoting Will Rogers every bit saying of (former President Herbert) Hoover that it's non what he doesn't know that bothers me, information technology's what he knows for certain that just own't so," Mondale said.
In 2006 the Oscar-winning documentary well-nigh climate change titled "An Inconvenient Truth" displayed an instance of the saying and credited Mark Twain: [22] Year: 2006, Movie: An Inconvenient Truth, Managing director: Davis Guggenheim, Studio: Paramount, Primary Narrator: Al Gore, Video Access: Amazon Prime Service, (Quotation starts at seven minutes 45 seconds of ane … Go on reading
What gets us into trouble
is non what nosotros don't know
It's what we know for certain
that just ain't and then– Mark Twain
In conclusion, the target proverb evolved incrementally over fourth dimension. Instances have been attributed to a variety of humorists such as Mark Twain, Josh Billings, Artemus Ward, Kin Hubbard, and Will Rogers. Yet, at that place is no substantive show that the maxim was crafted simply ane of these funny men. The ascription remains anonymous.
The 1874 quotation from Josh Billings: "I honestly beleave it iz amend tew know zippo than two know what ain't so" is further explored on this webpage.
The quotation from Marking Twain: "When I was younger I could remember annihilation, whether it happened or non; but I am getting onetime, and soon I shall remember only the latter" is farther explored on this webpage.
Image Notes: Public domain picture of Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) from the Harvard Theatre Drove. Public domain picture of Marker Twain (Samuel Clemens) past Abdullah Frères circa 1867 from the Library of Congress. Public domain picture show of Artemus Ward (Charles Farrar Brown) from the Harvard Theatre Drove. Images accessed via Wikimedia Commons. Images accept been resized, retouched, and cropped.
(Neat thanks to Tom Beeler, Stephen Dorfman, Francis Neelon, Marcos Tatijewski, Simon Lancaster, Dick Plotz, Lane Greene, and George Dinwiddie whose inquiries led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration. Special thanks to fellow researchers Matt Seybold, Suzy Platt, Ralph Keyes, Fred R. Shapiro, Nigel Rees, and Barry Popik who accept explored quotations in this family. Additional thanks to Lane Greene who pointed to the 1964 argument of Ronald Reagan and Dick Plotz who pointed to Walter Mondale's 1983 statement.)
Update History: On November 23, 2018 the November 1964 and the June 1983 citations were added.
Source: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2018/11/18/know-trouble/#:~:text=Anonymous%3F,that%20just%20ain't%20so.
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