WIST Quotations

Einstein, Albert -- (Spurious)

Dave — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 22:32:24 +0000

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-American physicist
(Spurious)

For more discussion about this quote: Quote Origin: Everybody is a Genius. But If You Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree, It Will Live Its Whole Life Believing that It is Stupid – Quote Investigator®.

Adams, Douglas -- Last Chance to See, ch. 3 (1990) [with Mark Carwardine]

Dave — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 13:16:27 +0000

Most of the other shops were in fact impossible to identify. When a shop appeared to sell a mixture of ghetto blasters, socks, soap and chickens, it didn’t seem unreasonable to go in and ask if they’d got any paper or toothpaste stuck away in one of their shelves as well, but they looked at me as if I was completely mad. Couldn’t I see that this was a ghetto blaster, socks, soap and chicken shop?

Douglas Adams (1952–2001) English author, humorist, screenwriter
Last Chance to See, ch. 3 (1990) [with Mark Carwardine]

Shopping in Kinshasa, Zaire.

Though the trip to see the northern white rhino was taken, and the chapter about it is in the book, it was not included in the BBC Radio series (1989).

Adams reading the 1992 audiobook can be heard here.

Rogers, Will -- Column (1931-07-05), “Weekly Article”

Dave — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 17:49:49 +0000

There is nothing as stupid as an educated man if you get him off the thing he was educated in.

Will Rogers (1879–1935) American humorist
Column (1931-07-05), “Weekly Article”

See also his comment here.

Rogers, Will -- Column (1924-08-31), “Weekly Article: From Nuts to Soup”

Dave — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:53:13 +0000

You know, Percy, everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.

Will Rogers (1879–1935) American humorist
Column (1924-08-31), “Weekly Article: From Nuts to Soup”

A common catch phrase of Rogers'. Collected in The Illiterate Digest, "Defending My Soup Plate Position" (1924).