It Ain㢂¬„¢t What You Know That Gets You in Trouble
Mark Twain? Josh Billings? Artemus Ward? Kin Hubbard? Volition Rogers? Bearding?
Dearest Quote Investigator: The Oscar-winning 2015 moving picture "The Large Brusk" begins with a display of the following statement:
It own't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. Information technology's what y'all know for certain that just ain't so.
The brilliant humorist Mark Twain receives credit, only I have been unable to find a solid commendation. This quip is very pop. Would you please investigate?
Quote Investigator: Scholars at the Middle for Mark Twain Studies of Elmira College have found no substantive evidence supporting the ascription to Mark Twain. [i] Website: Eye for Mark Twain Studies, Article title: The Counterfeit Twain: "Things We Know That Just Ain't Then.", Commodity author: Matt Seybold, Date on website: October vi, 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. All the same, it is unlikely then whatever of them said it. The creator remains anonymous based on current testify.
The saying is difficult to trace because it falls within an evolving family of remarks concerning faulty knowledge and retention. Three processes operate on members of the family to generate new members and ascriptions incrementally:
- Statements are rephrased over fourth dimension.
- Statements are hybridized together to produce new statements.
- Attributions are shifted from 1 prominent humorist to some other.
The family contains some comments with 18-carat ascriptions. For example, in 1874 a compendium of wit and sense of humour from Josh Billings was published. The piece of work employed dialectal spelling which causes headaches for modern researchers who are attempting to find matches using standard spelling. The following pertinent item appeared in a section labeled "Affurisms", i.e., "Aphorisms". Emphasis added to excerpts by QI: [ii] 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 it iz better tew know nil than two know what ain't so.
Here is the statement written with standard spelling:
I honestly believe it is improve to know nothing than to know what ain't so.
This remark partially matched the maxim under investigation, and information technology acted as a seed in the evolving family unit of remarks.
Here are additional selected citations in chronological order.
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 February, The Pacific Unitarian, Volume 7, Number four, Address of Rev. Charles R. Brown, First Page 118, Quote Page 119, Column 2, San Francisco, California. (Google Books Full View) link
Perhaps, every bit Mark Twain observed, information technology is better non to know and so much than to know and then many things that aren't so.
In 1900 "The Dietetic and Hygienic Gazette" printed a statement attributed to Billings with quotation marks surrounding only a segment. The full statement included the key word "trouble" which occurs in the target saying: [4] 1900 October, The Dietetic and Aseptic Gazette, Book xvi, Number 10, Department of Notes and Queries, Showtime Page 641, Quote Page 643, The Gazette Publishing Company, New York. (Google Books Full … Go on reading
Upon reading the get-go particular we are forcibly reminded of the pertinent and pithy remark of the lamented humorist, Josh Billings, that the trouble with a smashing many of the states is "nosotros know and so many things that ain't so."
In 1909 an advert inside a book called "A Drum'south Story" ascribed a remark to Twain about erstwhile men and memory that contained the key give-and-take "problem": [5] 1909, A Drum'south Story: And Other Tales past Delavan South. Miller, (Advertising material for the author'southward previous book: What Henry Haynie Has to Say in the Boston Times of D. S. Millers … Keep reading
Mark Twain one time said that "the trouble with old men is they recollect so many things that ain't then," but this book of war reminiscences is different from most of Twain'south 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: [vi] 1911 October 14, The Illustrated London News, Our Notebook by K. One thousand. Chesterton, Start Folio 615, Quote Page 615, The International News Company, New York. (Google Books Total View) link
One of the 2 or three wisest sayings uttered on this ancient globe was the remark of Artemus Ward, "It ain't so much men's ignorance that does the harm as their knowing then 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 being explored: [7] 1912, Mark Twain: A Biography: The Personal and Literary Life of Samuel Langhorne Clemens by Albert Bigelow Paine, Volume three of 4, Chapter 239: Working With Marking Twain, Quote Page 1269, Harper & … Continue reading
"When I was younger I could remember annihilation, whether it happened or not; but I am getting old, and soon I shall remember simply the latter."
At another time he paraphrased 1 of Josh Billings's sayings in the remark: "It isn't so astonishing, the number of things that I tin remember, equally the number of things I can remember that aren't so."
In 1913 "The Atlantic Monthly" credited Billings with the aforementioned statement that Chesterton ascribed to Artemus Ward in 1911: [viii] 1913 July, The Atlantic Monthly, Book 112, My Garden Beasts by Lucy Elliot Keeler, Outset Folio 134, Quote Page 140, Cavalcade ii, The Atlantic Monthly Company, Boston, Massachusetts. (Google Books Full … Continue reading
One of the wisest sayings uttered on this ancient globe was Josh Billings's remark, 'It own't so much men's ignorance that does the harm equally their knowing so many things that ain't so.'
In 1915 "The Catholic World" attributed a similar statement to Billings: [9] 1915 November, The Cosmic World, Book 102, Number 608, Some Chapters in the History of Feminine Instruction by James J. Walsh, Grand.D. Ph.D., Start Page 194, Quote Page 194, Published by the Paulist … Continue reading
. . . "It is non so much the ignorance of mankind," Josh Billings said, "that makes them ridiculous, as the knowing then 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 lucifer containing the word "trouble": [10] 1917, The Unwritten History of Braddock'due south Field (Pennsylvania), Prepared by the History Committee Under the Editorship of Geo. H. Lamb for the Celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Braddock, … Continue reading
Members of the committee were reminded of Marker Twain'southward dictum, that the trouble with reminiscences is non that people know also much, just that they know so many things that aren't so.
In Apr 1917 "The Lyceum Magazine" printed some other expression attributed to Twain well-nigh "old men" which contained the key word "trouble: [11] 1917 Apr, The Lyceum Magazine, Book 26, Number 11, Dr. Conwell's Talks With Platform Workers by Russell H. Conwell (Honorary President I.L.A.), Quote Folio 26, Column 2, Chicago, Illinois. … Go on reading
Mark Twain used to say that "the problem with old men's memories is that they remember and so many things that ain't so." Since I heard him say that several times I accept been careful not to state anything unusual lest my friends should think that Mark Twain'due south arraignment is true in my case.
In 1921 a piece in "The Country Gentleman" printed a proverb ascribed to Billings: [12] 1921 April sixteen, The Land Admirer, Where Ignorance Is Mis-: Misrepresentation and Misunderstanding Befuddle Our Revenue enhancement Laws past Harry R. O'Brien, First Page 13, Quote Page 13, Column 1, The … Go along reading
It ain't so much people's ignorance that does the harm as their knowing so darned much that ain't and so.—JOSH BILLINGS.
In 1923 B. C. Forbes founder of "Forbes" magazine wrote well-nigh a voice communication delivered by Francis H. Sisson, vice-president of the Guaranty Trust Company of New York: [thirteen] 1923 February 10, The Buffalo Evening Times, Finance and Business by B. C. Forbes, Quote Folio xi, Column 1, Buffalo, New York. (Newspapers_com)
Final evening Mr. Sisson talked to a large gathering of Iowa editors. His theme was the oft-quoted observation of Josh Billings that "the problem with the American people is not then much their ignorance as 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 close to the target saying: [14] 1931 July 6, Ithaca Journal-News, "Things Which Ain't So" Past William Trufant Foster and Waddill Catchings , Quote Page 4, Cavalcade 4, Ithaca, New York. (Newspapers_com)
It own't what a man don't know-that makes him a fool; it'southward the atrocious sight of things he knows' that ain't so. Josh Billings said something of that sort, and Josh Billings knew what he was talking about.
In 1947 the "Janesville Daily Gazette" printed a shut syntactic and semantic match ascribed to Twain: [15] 1947 May 21, Janesville Daily Gazette, Editorial Panorama, (Filler particular), Quote Page 6, Column two, Janesville, Wisconsin. (Newspapers_com)
It own't so much the things that people don't know that makes problem in this earth, every bit it is the things that people know that ain't and so. — Marker Twain.
In 1958 the character Abe Martin received credit for a proverb within this family unit. Cartoonist Kin Hubbard was the creator of Abe Martin: [16] 1958 March v, San Francisco Examiner, Wellness for Today: Facts Distorted Into Fads by W. Due west. Bauer G.D. (Director of Wellness Education American Medical Association), Section 2, Quote Page 2, Column four, … Continue reading
Abe Martin's definition of ignorance was "not and then much what a person don't know, as what he knows that ain't and then." And he is certainly correct.
In June 1964 the "Boston Traveler" of Boston, Massachusetts credited Artemus Ward with a stiff syntactic and semantic friction match: [17] 1964 June 26, Boston Traveler, Family unit Finance: Statistics Tin can Be Twisted To Fool Unwary past Dick Miller, Quote Page 24, Column 3 and iv, Boston, Massachusetts. (GenealogyBank)
Or, every bit Artemus Ward put it, "it ain't so much the things we don't know that get us into problem. Information technology'south the things we know that ain't and then."
In November 1964 Ronald Reagan who later became the U.Due south. President delivered a spoken communication on television that independent a pertinent instance without attribution: [xviii] 1964 November 2, Ames Daily Tribune, (Political advertisement titled: Did Yous See Ronald Reagan's Tv set Speech?), Quote Folio eight, Column iv, 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 Time" past Laurence J. Peter credited Kin Hubbard with a version of the maxim: [xix] 1977, "Peter's Quotations: Ideas for Our Time" by Laurence J. Peter, Topic: Ignorance, Quote Page 260, William Morrow and Company, New York. (Verified with hardcopy)
'Tain't what a man don't know that hurts him; it'due south what he knows that but own't and so.
—Frank McKinney Hubbard ("Kin Hubbard")
In 1978 "New York Magazine" printed an instance together with an unlikely ascription to funny human Will Rogers: [twenty] 1978 July 10, New York Mag, Volume 11, Number 28, True or False by Randy Cohen, Start Page 29, Quote Page xxx, 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 true.
In 1983 former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale employed the maxim while criticizing President Ronald Reagan. Mondale credited the words to Volition Rogers: [21] 1983 June 15, San Francisco Examiner, Demos rebut Reagan over schoolhouse funds (Associated Press), Quote Page A5, Column 1, San Francisco, California. (Newspapers_com)
"I keep quoting Will Rogers every bit saying of (one-time President Herbert) Hoover that it's not what he doesn't know that bothers me, it'due south what he knows for certain that merely ain't so," Mondale said.
In 2006 the Oscar-winning documentary about climate change titled "An Inconvenient Truth" displayed an instance of the proverb and credited Mark Twain: [22] Yr: 2006, Movie: An Inconvenient Truth, Manager: Davis Guggenheim, Studio: Paramount, Primary Narrator: Al Gore, Video Access: Amazon Prime Service, (Quotation starts at 7 minutes 45 seconds of i … Continue reading
What gets us into trouble
is not what we don't know
It's what we know for sure
that just ain't so– Mark Twain
In conclusion, the target proverb evolved incrementally over time. Instances have been attributed to a variety of humorists such as Mark Twain, Josh Billings, Artemus Ward, Kin Hubbard, and Will Rogers. Still, at that place is no substantive evidence that the saying was crafted only 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 two know what own't and then" is further explored on this webpage.
The quotation from Marking Twain: "When I was younger I could remember annihilation, whether it happened or non; merely I am getting old, and before long I shall call up only the latter" is farther explored on this webpage.
Image Notes: Public domain picture of Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) from the Harvard Theatre Collection. Public domain motion picture of Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) by Abdullah Frères circa 1867 from the Library of Congress. Public domain pic of Artemus Ward (Charles Farrar Brown) from the Harvard Theatre Drove. Images accessed via Wikimedia Commons. Images have been resized, retouched, and cropped.
(Great thanks 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 thanks to young man researchers Matt Seybold, Suzy Platt, Ralph Keyes, Fred R. Shapiro, Nigel Rees, and Barry Popik who accept explored quotations in this family. Additional thanks to Lane Greene who pointed to the 1964 statement of Ronald Reagan and Dick Plotz who pointed to Walter Mondale'southward 1983 argument.)
Update History: On Nov 23, 2018 the November 1964 and the June 1983 citations were added.
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Source: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2018/11/18/know-trouble/
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