It Aint What You Dont Know
Mark Twain? Josh Billings? Artemus Ward? Kin Hubbard? Will Rogers? Anonymous?
Dear Quote Investigator: The Oscar-winning 2015 film "The Big Short" begins with a display of the post-obit statement:
It ain't what you don't know that gets y'all into trouble. It's what you know for certain that just ain't so.
The vivid humorist Mark Twain receives credit, only I have been unable to detect a solid citation. This quip is very popular. Would you delight investigate?
Quote Investigator: Scholars at the Center for Mark Twain Studies of Elmira Higher have institute no substantive evidence supporting the ascription to Mark Twain. [1] Website: Heart for Mark Twain Studies, Commodity title: The Counterfeit Twain: "Things We Know That Just Ain't So.", Article 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. However, it is unlikely then any of them said information technology. The creator remains bearding based on current evidence.
The proverb is difficult to trace because it falls within an evolving family unit of remarks apropos faulty knowledge and memory. 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 one prominent humorist to another.
The family contains some comments with genuine ascriptions. For case, in 1874 a compendium of wit and humor from Josh Billings was published. The work employed dialectal spelling which causes headaches for modern researchers who are attempting to discover matches using standard spelling. The following pertinent item appeared in a section labeled "Affurisms", i.due east., "Aphorisms". Emphasis added to excerpts past QI: [two] 1874, Everybody's Friend, Or; Josh Billing's Encyclopedia and Proverbial Philosophy of Wit and Humor, Section: Affurisms: Sollum Thoughts, Quote Page 286, American Publishing Company, Hartford, … Continue reading
I honestly beleave information technology iz ameliorate tew know nothing than two know what ain't so.
Hither is the statement written with standard spelling:
I honestly believe it is amend to know nothing than to know what ain't and then.
This remark partially matched the maxim nether investigation, and it acted as a seed in the evolving family of remarks.
Here are boosted 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 saying from Billings to Twain: [3] 1899 Feb, The Pacific Unitarian, Book vii, Number 4, Address of Rev. Charles R. Chocolate-brown, Commencement Page 118, Quote Page 119, Cavalcade 2, San Francisco, California. (Google Books Total View) link
Peradventure, as Marking Twain observed, it is amend not to know so much than to know so many things that aren't so.
In 1900 "The Dietetic and Hygienic Gazette" printed a argument attributed to Billings with quotation marks surrounding only a segment. The full statement included the fundamental word "trouble" which occurs in the target maxim: [four] 1900 Oct, The Dietetic and Hygienic Gazette, Volume xvi, Number 10, Section of Notes and Queries, Beginning Page 641, Quote Page 643, The Gazette Publishing Company, New York. (Google Books Full … Continue reading
Upon reading the first item we are forcibly reminded of the pertinent and pithy remark of the lamented humorist, Josh Billings, that the trouble with a great many of u.s.a. is "we know so many things that ain't then."
In 1909 an advertisement within a book called "A Drum'south Story" ascribed a remark to Twain about old men and memory that contained the cardinal word "trouble": [5] 1909, A Drum'due south Story: And Other Tales by Delavan Due south. Miller, (Ad material for the writer's previous book: What Henry Haynie Has to Say in the Boston Times of D. S. Millers … Continue reading
Marker Twain once said that "the trouble with onetime men is they remember so many things that ain't then," only this book of war reminiscences is different from near of Twain's reminiscences.
In 1911 the well-known author G. K. Chesterton implausibly ascribed to humorist Artemus Ward who died in 1867 a statement that partially matched the target: [half dozen] 1911 Oct 14, The Illustrated London News, Our Notebook past Chiliad. K. Chesterton, Beginning Page 615, Quote Page 615, The International News Company, New York. (Google Books Total View) link
One of the ii or three wisest sayings uttered on this ancient world was the remark of Artemus Ward, "It own't then much men's ignorance that does the harm as their knowing 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 saying existence explored: [7] 1912, Mark Twain: A Biography: The Personal and Literary Life of Samuel Langhorne Clemens by Albert Bigelow Paine, Volume 3 of 4, Affiliate 239: Working With Marker Twain, Quote Page 1269, Harper & … Proceed reading
"When I was younger I could remember anything, whether information technology happened or not; but I am getting old, and presently I shall call up only the latter."
At another fourth dimension he paraphrased ane of Josh Billings's sayings in the remark: "It isn't and so astonishing, the number of things that I can recollect, equally the number of things I can retrieve that aren't so."
In 1913 "The Atlantic Monthly" credited Billings with the aforementioned statement that Chesterton ascribed to Artemus Ward in 1911: [8] 1913 July, The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 112, My Garden Beasts past Lucy Elliot Keeler, Start Page 134, Quote Page 140, Column 2, The Atlantic Monthly Company, Boston, Massachusetts. (Google Books Full … Continue reading
One of the wisest sayings uttered on this ancient earth was Josh Billings's remark, 'It own't so much men's ignorance that does the harm as their knowing then many things that ain't so.'
In 1915 "The Catholic World" attributed a similar argument to Billings: [ix] 1915 Nov, The Cosmic World, Volume 102, Number 608, Some Chapters in the History of Feminine Education by James J. Walsh, M.D. Ph.D., Start Page 194, Quote Page 194, Published past the Paulist … Proceed reading
. . . "It is not and then 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 partial match containing the give-and-take "trouble": [ten] 1917, The Unwritten History of Braddock's Field (Pennsylvania), Prepared by the History Committee Under the Editorship of Geo. H. Lamb for the Celebration of the Gilded Jubilee of Braddock, … Continue reading
Members of the committee were reminded of Mark Twain's dictum, that the trouble with reminiscences is non that people know too much, but that they know then many things that aren't so.
In Apr 1917 "The Lyceum Mag" printed another expression attributed to Twain virtually "sometime men" which contained the key give-and-take "trouble: [xi] 1917 April, The Lyceum Magazine, Volume 26, Number 11, Dr. Conwell's Talks With Platform Workers by Russell H. Conwell (Honorary President I.L.A.), Quote Page 26, Column 2, Chicago, Illinois. … Continue reading
Mark Twain used to say that "the trouble with one-time men's memories is that they recollect so many things that own't so." Since I heard him say that several times I have been careful not to state annihilation unusual lest my friends should think that Mark Twain'south arraignment is true in my case.
In 1921 a piece in "The State Admirer" printed a maxim ascribed to Billings: [12] 1921 April 16, The Country Gentleman, Where Ignorance Is Mis-: Misrepresentation and Misunderstanding Befuddle Our Tax Laws by Harry R. O'Brien, Start Page thirteen, Quote Page 13, Column 1, The … Continue reading
Information technology own't so much people'south ignorance that does the harm as their knowing and then darned much that ain't then.—JOSH BILLINGS.
In 1923 B. C. Forbes founder of "Forbes" magazine wrote virtually a speech communication delivered by Francis H. Sisson, vice-president of the Guaranty Trust Visitor of New York: [xiii] 1923 February x, The Buffalo Evening Times, Finance and Business past B. C. Forbes, Quote Folio xi, Column 1, Buffalo, New York. (Newspapers_com)
Last evening Mr. Sisson talked to a large gathering of Iowa editors. His theme was the oft-quoted observation of Josh Billings that "the trouble with the American people is non then much their ignorance equally the tremendous number of things they know that ain't so."
In 1931 the "Ithaca Journal-News" of Ithaca, New York printed an expression attributed to Billings that was semantically shut to the target saying: [xiv] 1931 July vi, Ithaca Journal-News, "Things Which Ain't So" By William Trufant Foster and Waddill Catchings , Quote Folio 4, Column iv, Ithaca, New York. (Newspapers_com)
It ain't what a homo don't know-that makes him a fool; it'south the atrocious sight of things he knows' that own't then. Josh Billings said something of that sort, and Josh Billings knew what he was talking well-nigh.
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 Folio 6, Column 2, 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 and then. — Mark Twain.
In 1958 the character Abe Martin received credit for a proverb within this family. Cartoonist Kin Hubbard was the creator of Abe Martin: [16] 1958 March 5, San Francisco Examiner, Wellness for Today: Facts Distorted Into Fads by W. Due west. Bauer M.D. (Manager of Health Educational activity American Medical Association), Section 2, Quote Page ii, Cavalcade four, … Continue reading
Abe Martin's definition of ignorance was "not so much what a person don't know, every bit 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 stiff syntactic and semantic match: [17] 1964 June 26, Boston Traveler, Family unit Finance: Statistics Can Be Twisted To Fool Unwary by Dick Miller, Quote Page 24, Column 3 and 4, Boston, Massachusetts. (GenealogyBank)
Or, equally Artemus Ward put it, "it ain't so much the things nosotros don't know that get united states of america into trouble. It'south the things we know that ain't so."
In November 1964 Ronald Reagan who later became the U.S. President delivered a speech on television that contained a pertinent case without attribution: [eighteen] 1964 November ii, Ames Daily Tribune, (Political advertisement titled: Did Yous Run into Ronald Reagan'southward Goggle box Speech?), Quote Page 8, Column 4, Ames, Iowa. (Newspapers_com)
Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is non that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn't then!
In 1977 "Peter'south Quotations: Ideas for Our Fourth dimension" by Laurence J. Peter credited Kin Hubbard with a version of the proverb: [xix] 1977, "Peter'south Quotations: Ideas for Our Time" past Laurence J. Peter, Topic: Ignorance, Quote Page 260, William Morrow and Visitor, New York. (Verified with hardcopy)
'Tain't what a man don't know that hurts him; it'due south 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 Volition Rogers: [twenty] 1978 July ten, New York Mag, Volume 11, Number 28, Truthful or False past Randy Cohen, Start Folio 29, Quote Page 30, Published by New York Media, LLC. (Google Books Full View) link
The trouble with most people, as Will Rogers observed, is not that they don't know much but that they know so much that isn't truthful.
In 1983 erstwhile U.Due south. Vice President Walter Mondale employed the proverb while criticizing President Ronald Reagan. Mondale credited the words to Will Rogers: [21] 1983 June fifteen, San Francisco Examiner, Demos rebut Reagan over school funds (Associated Press), Quote Folio A5, Cavalcade 1, San Francisco, California. (Newspapers_com)
"I proceed quoting Will Rogers equally maxim of (old President Herbert) Hoover that information technology's non what he doesn't know that bothers me, information technology's what he knows for sure that but own't so," Mondale said.
In 2006 the Oscar-winning documentary about climatic change titled "An Inconvenient Truth" displayed an example of the saying and credited Mark Twain: [22] Year: 2006, Movie: An Inconvenient Truth, Director: Davis Guggenheim, Studio: Paramount, Primary Narrator: Al Gore, Video Access: Amazon Prime Service, (Quotation starts at 7 minutes 45 seconds of ane … Continue reading
What gets u.s.a. into trouble
is not what we don't know
Information technology's what we know for sure
that just own't and then– Marker Twain
In conclusion, the target maxim evolved incrementally over time. Instances take been attributed to a variety of humorists such as Marker Twain, Josh Billings, Artemus Ward, Kin Hubbard, and Will Rogers. Nevertheless, in that location is no noun bear witness that the saying was crafted simply one of these funny men. The ascription remains anonymous.
The 1874 quotation from Josh Billings: "I honestly beleave it iz better tew know nothing than 2 know what ain't and then" is farther explored on this webpage.
The quotation from Marker Twain: "When I was younger I could remember annihilation, whether it happened or not; but I am getting sometime, and before long I shall remember only the latter" is further explored on this webpage.
Paradigm Notes: Public domain picture of Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) from the Harvard Theatre Drove. Public domain picture of Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) by Abdullah Frères circa 1867 from the Library of Congress. Public domain picture of Artemus Ward (Charles Farrar Brown) from the Harvard Theatre Drove. Images accessed via Wikimedia Commons. Images accept been resized, retouched, and cropped.
(Great cheers 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 thank you to fellow researchers Matt Seybold, Suzy Platt, Ralph Keyes, Fred R. Shapiro, Nigel Rees, and Barry Popik who have explored quotations in this family unit. Additional thanks to Lane Greene who pointed to the 1964 argument of Ronald Reagan and Dick Plotz who pointed to Walter Mondale'southward 1983 statement.)
Update History: On November 23, 2018 the Nov 1964 and the June 1983 citations were added.
Source: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2018/11/18/know-trouble/
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