Quite often, we’ve come across words of wisdom that are attributed to a world-known figure of authority.
Famous politicians, authors and entrepreneurs “sign” impressive quotes that contain words that are meant to touch, encourage, amuse or motivate.
Most often, these quotes are works of fiction, tweaked from existing phrases in order to impress; their alleged attribution to famous people seemingly seals the deal.
To confirm a quote’s legitimacy, performing a research is necessary. Unless verified from particular, well-established sources, unverifiable quotes are essentially nothing more than “word memes.”
For example, the following quote has been attributed to the late Apple founder, Steve Jobs:
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”
The quote became popular after Steve Jobs passed away at the age of 56, but it wasn’t his own.
Quote Investigator, operating from QuoteInvestigator.com, has been created to help dispel those rumors and fake quote attributions.
Its creator, Garson O’Toole, records his investigatory work by diligently seeking the truth about quotations. You can buy his book, Hemingway Didn’t Say That, on Amazon.
I really didn’t say everything I said. – Yogi Berra