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pjthompsonRandom quote of the day:
"I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
—Ralph Waldo Emerson, Journal, May 1849
This from a man who was constantly quoting others, and who once said (in his essay, "Quotations and Originality"), "Next to the originator of a good sentence is the first quoter of it." But I think I know where the old curmudgeon was coming from. He objected to the mindless use of quotation to replace original thought or arguing from the use of authority. People often believe that if they stick their point of view between quotation marks and attribute it to some famous smart person that it is an end of discussion, the final period on any argument. Which is also why some folks are not above false attribution of their point of view to some famous smart person: they know some people will be persuaded that the authority figure knows best. Thus endeth my brief essay on quotations.
But I'd like to add: for all your T-shirt and fun stop needs, please visit http://www.fbodstudios.com/ . . . It's the swellest!
You can quote me.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.
"I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
—Ralph Waldo Emerson, Journal, May 1849
This from a man who was constantly quoting others, and who once said (in his essay, "Quotations and Originality"), "Next to the originator of a good sentence is the first quoter of it." But I think I know where the old curmudgeon was coming from. He objected to the mindless use of quotation to replace original thought or arguing from the use of authority. People often believe that if they stick their point of view between quotation marks and attribute it to some famous smart person that it is an end of discussion, the final period on any argument. Which is also why some folks are not above false attribution of their point of view to some famous smart person: they know some people will be persuaded that the authority figure knows best. Thus endeth my brief essay on quotations.
But I'd like to add: for all your T-shirt and fun stop needs, please visit http://www.fbodstudios.com/ . . . It's the swellest!
You can quote me.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.