Many famous quotes from history are well-known and frequently used in our daily conversations. However, their true meanings and origins are often misunderstood. This article highlights 18 historical quotes that people commonly misinterpret.
“The simplest explanation is the best” – William of Ockham
This quote is often misused as a way to support debates, especially when they’re linked to science or philosophy. According to Strongfirst, the original quote comes from Occam’s Razor and goes, “No more things should be presumed to exist than are absolutely necessary, i.e., the fewer assumptions an explanation of a phenomenon depends on, the better explanation.”
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi
This wasn’t a direct quote from Gandhi but rather paraphrased from one of his speeches about change and taking responsibility. What Gandhi actually said was, “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him.”
“Let them eat cake” – Marie Antoinette
It’s been a common misconception that Marie Antoinette, Queen of France during the French Revolution, said this quote. However, according to History Hit, it was actually the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau who said this. It’s tarnished Marie Antoinette’s reputation ever since and was even used in propaganda at the time.
“I cannot tell a lie; it was I who chopped down the cherry tree” – George Washington
George Washington never said this quote and instead, it was made up by the biographer Parson Weems. It was supposed to improve George Washington’s reputation and make him seem more honest. There’s no evidence to show that Washington ever said this quote and instead, it’s seen as being a quote on morality.
“Elementary, dear Watson” – Sherlock Holmes
This phrase is thought to be from the Sherlock Holmes books, written by Arthur Conan Doyle. The closest anyone can find to this quote is from “Elementary,” when Holmes says “Excellent” in response to Watson. It shows just how easy it is for pop culture to change what actually happened in a story.
“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” – Neil Armstrong
The quote actually includes an “a” before “man,” which was confirmed by Armstrong himself. The “a” was used to avoid any redundancy in the quote, and it does help it make more sense, as it was just one man who stepped on the moon. It’s thought the misinterpretation was due to the static in the audio transmission during the moon landing.
“Houston, we have a problem” – John Swigert
This quote was said by John Swigert, but it was misinterpreted. What Swigert actually said was, “Ok, Houston; we’ve had a problem here.” It’s thought that the misquote was due to Jim Lovell, who said the now famous “Houston, we have a problem” in the film Apollo 13.
“I can see Russia from my house” – Sarah Palin
Today I Found Out writes, “Sarah Palin never said ‘I can see Russia from my house.’ Tina Fey did, in a hilarious skit on Saturday Night Live.” Palin’s actual statement was about how close Russia and Alaska are to each other. The quote is often used to critique her foreign policy credentials, even though it’s inaccurate.
“Nice guys finish last” – Leo Durocher
This is the title of a book, not a quote that Leo Durocher actually said. It’s often used to refer to the New York Giants baseball team, which was the team Durocher played for. It wasn’t supposed to be life advice for a person and instead was about the competitive nature of baseball.
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” – William Shakespeare
This is a common misinterpretation of Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. The actual quote is, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by another word, would smell as sweet.” The misquote almost gives a sense of adultery, which is the complete opposite of what the play is actually about.
“All that glitters is not gold” – Common Proverb
This common proverb is thought to have had a couple of origins over time. It can first be dated back to a 12th-century monk who said, “Do not hold everything gold that shines gold.” This proverb can also go back to Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice with the quote, “All that glistens is not gold.”
“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” – William Congreve
This was never a quote from William Congreve; instead, it’s a shortened proverb from his play, The Mourning Bride. The longer line from the play was used to make the feelings that come from scorned love more intense. It just became paraphrased over time to make it more memorable.
“I see no ships” – Admiral Horatio Nelson
This was misquoted from the Battle of Copenhagen, where Nelson ignored a retreat signal. His real statement regarding his actions was that he could be blind sometimes. He stated, “I have the right to be blind sometimes; I really do not see the signal.”
“Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” – Henry Morton Stanley
This has become a famous greeting that was presumed to originally have been said by the journalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley when he found Dr. Livingstone in Tanzania. However, it’s something that has never been verified. It shows how easy it is for narratives to change to suit storytelling.
“We shall fight them on the beaches” – Winston Churchill
Churchill’s original speech includes this phrase, but it’s usually taken out of context. What he actually said was, “We shall fight them on the beaches, we shall fight them on the landing grounds, we shall fight them in the fields and in the streets; we shall never surrender.” The speech was made in the summer of 1940.
“Et tu, Brute?” – Julius Caesar
This quote was popularized by William Shakespeare in his Julius Caesar play, but there are no historical records that it was said by Caesar himself. Shakespeare chose to use this line to reflect the themes of tragedy and betrayal in his play. It shows just how easily literature can change our historical understanding.
“Sic semper tyrannis” – Marcus Junius Brutus
This translates to “thus always to tyrants.” It’s thought that this quote is linked to Julius Caesar’s assassination, but there’s no historical evidence that Brutus said this during that moment in time. It gained a reputation after John Wilkes Booth shouted this during the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
“I think, therefore I am” – René Descartes
This is often quoted as a form of recognition. However, the original quote is Latin and has a broader meaning. The Latin version goes, “I am thinking; therefore, I exist.” It shows how easy it is for philosophical quotes to be simplified over time. There are still many questions about why such a simple line created so many questions about existence.