Week 4 Journal: Misquotes

“Let them eat cake” is a quote that was made famous during the french revolution. It was supposedly said by Marie Antoinette who in reality never actually said this. The intended meaning of this quote was to spark outrage amongst the French people by making it seem that the royal family had no interest in helping the starving lower-class population of France. According to ripleys.com, this quote actually originated from a book titled Confessions by Jean-Jacques, which was published 11 years earlier in 1782. The real quote was “let them eat brioche” which was, as stated earlier never actually said by Marie Antoinette, and was purely used as motivation for the revolution.

"BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD." is a famous quote from Gandhi. Or is it? According to the New York Times, this was never actually said by Gandhi. The actual quote (or the closest documented thing that he 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. ... We need not wait to see what others do.” The meaning of this quote is exactly what it says. As people change, the world tends to change with them. The difference between the two is that the real quote explains that the world changes with the natural shift in tendencies from the human race, while the other says that it's the job of the individual to change the world.

“The ends justify the means”. This famous quote from Niccolò Machiavelli was never actually said. The real quote from him, according to factmyth.com, was something similar to “For although the act condemns the doer, the end may justify him…”. The misquote and the actual quote are similar, but there are some notable differences. To begin, the mosquito sounds like something that a Movie villain would say. It is very ruthless. The actual quote basically says that if you commit an act that is usually considered bad with the intention of creating a good outcome, and the outcome comes true, then your actions may be justifiable. 

“Well-behaved women rarely make history,” is not actually a misquote, but rather a quote that was given to the wrong person. The quote is usually attributed to Marilyn Monroe, who never actually said this. According to chicagonow.com the quote actually comes from historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. The meaning behind these two people largely influences this quote, which is why it is important to note who it actually came from. Marylin Monroe was largely considered a sex symbol around the world, and this quote could be misinterpreted by attributing it to her. The actual meaning of the quote is explaining that women who follow the societal norms that are put in place for them really breakthrough and become influential and famous people. 

“I cannot tell a lie” is one of the most famous misquotes in history. This quote originated from the story of George Washington and the cherry tree. In the story, he damages his father's favorite tree and when confronted about it, he says “I cannot tell a lie” and confesses to his father. According to Mountvernon.org, this never happened. In reality, this story was fabricated by Mason Locke Weems in his biography about Washington that was written after his death. The story didn't even appear until the fifth volume of the book. The reason that that story was made up was purely for profit, and Weems clearly took advantage of the American people's love for Washington. 

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you imagined!” This famous misquote comes from Henry David Thoreau. According to Mentalfloss.com what he actually said was “I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with unexpected success in common hours … In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness." Although one seems like a simplified version of the other there is a difference. The misquote attempts to make the original saying sound like advice to the reader, while the actual quote is explaining his findings in life. The difference can be found in humility. 

“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated” is a misquotation of Mark Twain. According to oupacademic.tumblr.com, this misquote was derived from the original quote “The report of my death was an exaggeration” in response to a false report that Mark Twain had died. The difference between these two quotes is minimal, but the misquote seems to try and make the original quote sound more dramatic. The quote originates from The New York Journal who issued a correction to an earlier article that they had written about Mark Twain's death when his disappearance was mere because he was traveling outside of the country.