127+ Incorrect Quotes [Misattributed Quotes]

Incorrect quotes, also known as misattributed quotes, are statements that are mistakenly attributed to a particular person or source.

These quotes circulate widely and are often shared and referenced, despite the fact that they were never actually spoken or written by the person to whom they are attributed.

Here are some characteristics of incorrect quotes:

  • Attribution Errors: The most obvious characteristic of incorrect quotes is the misattribution of the quote to a specific person. The quote is mistakenly attributed to a famous figure, such as a historical leader, writer, scientist, or celebrity. However, there is no evidence to support the claim that the person actually said or wrote those words.
  • Popularization through Repetition: Incorrect quotes gain traction and popularity through repetition. They are shared widely through various mediums, such as social media, books, speeches, and articles. As people encounter these quotes repeatedly, they become more ingrained in popular culture, despite their lack of authenticity.
  • Memorable and Thought-Provoking: Misattributed quotes often contain elements that make them memorable and thought-provoking. They may express a powerful sentiment, provide profound insights, or encapsulate a particular ideology. These characteristics make them appealing to individuals who resonate with the message, leading to their continued dissemination.
  • Difficult to Verify: Misattributed quotes are challenging to verify because they are based on false information. They often lack credible sources or supporting evidence that can validate their authenticity. Due to their widespread circulation and the passing of time, it becomes increasingly difficult to trace their origin accurately.
  • Evolution and Adaptation: Incorrect quotes can evolve and adapt over time. They may undergo modifications as they are shared and passed down through generations. Different variations of the quote may emerge, adding to the confusion surrounding its true origin.
  • Creation of Fake Authority: Misattributed quotes can falsely create authority for a particular viewpoint. By associating the words with a well-known and respected individual, the quote gains an air of credibility. This can influence people’s perceptions and beliefs, even if the underlying message is flawed or inconsistent with the actual views of the attributed person.
  • Persistence Despite Debunking: Despite efforts to debunk misattributed quotes and clarify their origins, they can persist in popular culture. Even when their falseness is revealed, they may continue to be shared and referenced, driven by the strong emotional connection people have formed with the quote.

It is important to exercise critical thinking and verify the authenticity of quotes before attributing them to specific individuals.

Fact-checking and consulting reputable sources can help in avoiding the perpetuation of incorrect quotes and ensuring the accuracy of information.

Incorrect Quotes [Misattributed Quotes]

Some Incorrect Quotes [Misattributed Quotes]:

  1. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. However, there is no evidence that Gandhi actually said these exact words. The sentiment aligns with his teachings, but the specific quote cannot be traced back to him.
  2. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Often attributed to Edmund Burke. While the sentiment is consistent with Burke’s philosophy, there is no concrete evidence that he ever phrased it in this way.
  3. “Let them eat cake.” – Often attributed to Marie Antoinette. This quote is commonly associated with the French queen, implying her indifference to the suffering of the people. However, there is no historical evidence that she actually uttered these words.
  4. “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” – Often attributed to Voltaire. This quote is frequently attributed to the French philosopher, but it was actually written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall in her biography of Voltaire, summarizing his ideas.
  5. “The ends justify the means.” – Often attributed to Machiavelli, but not found in his works.
  6. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” – Often attributed to Albert Einstein, but there is no evidence he said it.
  7. “A picture is a fact.” – Sometimes attributed to Voltaire, but actually written by Ludwig Wittgenstein (with modern technology perhaps it’s not longer true :))
  8. “I can resist everything except temptation.” – Often attributed to Oscar Wilde, but it was actually written by Frank Harris in his biography of Wilde.
  9. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Often attributed to Franklin D. Roosevelt, but it was written by his speechwriter, Raymond Moley.
  10. “I cannot tell a lie.” – Often attributed to George Washington, but there is no proof he said this in connection to chopping down a cherry tree.
  11. “I have nothing to declare except my genius.” – Often attributed to Oscar Wilde, but there is no evidence he said it.
  12. “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” – Often attributed to Lord Acton, but he never phrased it this way.
  13. “Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” – Often attributed to the Bible, but it is a paraphrase from the book of Isaiah.
  14. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Often attributed to Maya Angelou, but the original quote was by Carl W. Buehner.
  15. “Elementary, my dear Watson.” – Often attributed to Sherlock Holmes, but this phrase was never used in any of Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories.
  16. “It is better to be feared than loved.” – Often attributed to Machiavelli, but it does not appear in his writings.
  17. “The truth shall set you free.” – Often attributed to the Bible, but it is a paraphrase from the Gospel of John.
  18. “Play it again, Sam.” – Often attributed to Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, but the exact line is “Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.'”
  19. “We are the music-makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.” – Often attributed to Arthur O’Shaughnessy, but it was actually written by Henry Austin Dobson.
  20. “Money is the root of all evil.” – Often attributed to the Bible, but the correct quote is “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”
  21. “I have a dream that one day…” – Often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr., but this phrase was repeated throughout the speech, not just the opening line.
  22. “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Often attributed to Albert Einstein, but there is no evidence he said it.
  23. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Often attributed to Wayne Gretzky, but it was actually said by his teammate, Michael Scott, in the TV show The Office.
  24. “To be or not to be, that is the question.” – Often attributed to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but it is only one line from a longer soliloquy.
  25. “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.” – Often attributed to Forrest Gump, but it was created for the film script.
  26. “Houston, we have a problem.” – Often attributed to the Apollo 13 mission, but the actual quote was “Houston, we’ve had a problem.”
  27. “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” – Often attributed to Oscar Wilde, but there is no evidence he said it.
  28. “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but there is no evidence he said it.
  29. “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” – Often attributed to William Ernest Henley, but it is a line from his poem “Invictus.”
  30. “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” – Often attributed to Love Story, a film, but it was written by Erich Segal for the novel and movie adaptation.
  31. “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” – Often attributed to John Lennon, but it was written by Allen Saunders for a comic strip.
  32. “Great minds think alike.” – Often attributed to various authors, but the original quote was “Great minds think alike, though fools seldom differ.”
  33. “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.” – Often attributed to Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, but it is not in the play.
  34. “It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!” – Often attributed to the opening of the Superman radio show, but it was never said in that exact way.
  35. “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” – Often attributed to The Usual Suspects, a film, but it was originally written by Charles Baudelaire in “Le Joueur généreux.”
  36. “I must be cruel, only to be kind.” – Often attributed to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but it is from Hamlet’s speech about his mother, not his father.
  37. “I never said most of the things I said.” – Often attributed to Yogi Berra, but it is a paraphrase of multiple quotes by the baseball player.
  38. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” – Often attributed to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but it is Juliet’s lines, not a general statement.
  39. “I think, therefore I am.” – Often attributed to René Descartes, but it is a simplified version of his philosophy, not his exact words.
  40. “Let them hate, so long as they fear.” – Often attributed to Caligula, but there is no historical evidence he said it.
  41. “You can’t handle the truth!” – Often attributed to A Few Good Men, a film, but the line is “You can’t handle the truth!” from that movie.
  42. “I know that I know nothing.” – Often attributed to Socrates, but it is a paraphrase from Plato’s dialogues.
  43. “If you build it, they will come.” – Often attributed to Field of Dreams, a film, but the actual line is “If you build it, he will come.”
  44. “All that glitters is not gold.” – Often attributed to Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, but it is originally from Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.
  45. Well-behaved women seldom make history.” – Often attributed to Marilyn Monroe, but it was written by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.
  46. “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” – Often attributed to the U.S. Declaration of Independence, but it is a general phrase used in the document.
  47. “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” – Often attributed to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but it is the novel’s opening line, not a universal truth.
  48. “Greed is good.” – Often attributed to Wall Street, a film, but the actual line is “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”
  49. “I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.” – Often attributed to J. Robert Oppenheimer, but it is a paraphrase from the Bhagavad Gita.
  50. No man is an island.” – Often attributed to John Donne, but it is a line from his meditation, not a standalone quote.
  51. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Often attributed to Lao Tzu, but there is no evidence he said it.
  52. “Love is patient, love is kind.” – Often attributed to the Bible, but it is a passage from Corinthians, not a standalone quote.
  53. “Well done is better than well said.” – Often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, but it was coined by Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
  54. “Happiness is a warm gun.” – Often attributed to The Beatles, but it was written by John Lennon as the title of a song.
  55. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” – Often attributed to Muhammad Ali, but it was actually said by his cornerman, Drew Bundini Brown.
  56. “It’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.” – Often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but there is no evidence he said it.
  57. “There is no such thing as society.” – Often attributed to Margaret Thatcher, but it is a misquotation of a longer statement she made.
  58. “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” – Often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr., but it was written by Clarence Jones, his speechwriter.
  59. “God helps those who help themselves.” – Often attributed to the Bible, but it is not found in any biblical text.
  60. “The course of true love never did run smooth.” – Often attributed to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but it is a line spoken by a character in the play.
  61. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” – Often attributed to Saint Ambrose, but it is a modern paraphrase of his writings.
  62. “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” – Often attributed to Voltaire, but it was written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall summarizing his ideas.
  63. “I am the walrus.” – Often attributed to The Beatles, but it was written by John Lennon and performed by the band.
  64. “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.” – Often attributed to Thomas Edison, but it was actually said by his associate, Walter S. Mallory.
  65. “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” – Often attributed to Mark Twain, but it was originally said by British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.
  66. “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career.” – Often attributed to Michael Jordan, but the exact numbers vary, and the quote is a rough estimate.
  67. “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” – Often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but there is no concrete evidence he said it.
  68. “I have a foolproof plan: let’s see if it works.” – Often attributed to Anonymous, but it is an old joke with an unknown origin.
  69. “The best things in life are free.” – Often attributed to various authors, but its origin is uncertain.

These examples demonstrate the prevalence of misattributed quotes and the importance of checking the source.

Inspirational Incorrect Quotes [Misattributed Quotes]

Inspirational Incorrect Quotes [Misattributed Quotes]:

  1. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius
  2. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Albert Einstein
  3. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Buddha
  4. “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” – Thomas Edison
  5. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Abraham Lincoln
  6. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Mahatma Gandhi
  7. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Leonardo da Vinci
  8. “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – Mark Twain
  9. “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” – Vince Lombardi
  10. “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.” – Charles Darwin

Short Incorrect Quotes [Misattributed Quotes]

Short Incorrect Quotes [Misattributed Quotes]:

  1. “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde
  2. “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” – Albert Einstein
  3. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Winston Churchill
  4. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison
  5. “I can resist everything except temptation.” – Mae West
  6. “To be or not to be, that is the question.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
  7. “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
  8. “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” – Voltaire
  9. “I think, therefore I am.” – René Descartes
  10. “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” – John Lennon

Funny Incorrect Quotes [Misattributed Quotes]

Funny Incorrect Quotes:

  1. “I am not a glutton. I am an explorer of food.” – Neil Armstrong
  2. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself… and spiders!” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
  3. “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” – William Shakespeare
  4. “I have a dream… that one day, all televisions will have a ‘skip intro’ button.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
  5. “I can resist everything except temptation… and online shopping.” – Oscar Wilde
  6. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in swiping left after a bad date.” – Nelson Mandela
  7. “I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.” – Albert Einstein
  8. “The best way to predict the future is to create it… or read horoscopes, they’re pretty accurate too.” – Peter Drucker
  9. “The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a banana.” – Karl Marx
  10. “I may be drunk, but in the morning, I will be sober… and you’ll still be ugly.” – Winston Churchill
  11. “I invented the internet.” – Al Gore
  12. “I am the founder of AI.” – Elon Musk
  13. “The problem with quotes on the internet is that it is hard to verify their authenticity.” – Abraham Lincoln
  14. “The only mystery in life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets.” – Winston Churchill
  15. “The trouble with quotes about quotes is that they often get misquoted.” – Mark Twain
  16. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work, and 1 that does. But I’m not telling you which one.” – Thomas Edison
  17. “I’m sorry, if you were right, I’d agree with you.” – Socrates
  18. “I can resist everything except temptation, and even that I have trouble with.” – Oscar Wilde
  19. “The road to success is always under construction, and it seems like they never finish it!” – Confucius
  20. “Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.” – Albert Einstein
  21. “I don’t need an alarm clock. My ideas wake me.” – Ray Bradbury
  22. “I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.” – Abraham Lincoln

Famous Incorrect Quotes [Misattributed Quotes]

Famous Incorrect Quotes:

  1. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single Instagram post.” – Lao Tzu
  2. “Be the change you wish to see in the world… or change the channel, whatever works for you.” – Mahatma Gandhi
  3. “Life is what happens when you’re busy making memes.” – John Lennon
  4. “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the memes of our friends.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
  5. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself… and Mondays.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
  6. “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your Wi-Fi signal.” – John F. Kennedy
  7. “I think, therefore I am… probably overthinking it.” – René Descartes
  8. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee… or just order pizza, that works too.” – Muhammad Ali
  9. “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up… and spill your coffee everywhere.” – Vince Lombardi
  10. “To be or not to be… in my pajamas, that is the question.” – William Shakespeare

Deep Incorrect Quotes [Misattributed Quotes]

Deep Incorrect Quotes:

  1. “The greatest tragedy of life is not that it ends, but that it ends without a Netflix binge.” – Plato
  2. “The unexamined life is not worth living… unless it’s a life filled with pizza and naps.” – Socrates
  3. “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars… and wondering if they’re really just alien spaceships.” – Oscar Wilde
  4. “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and binge-watch your favorite TV show.” – Alan Watts
  5. “The unspoken word never does harm… unless it’s the WiFi password.” – William Shakespeare
  6. “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough… or you’re talking about quantum physics.” – Albert Einstein
  7. “The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a pawn… and become the player in a game of chess.” – Confucius
  8. “I have found that if you love life, life will love you back… but sometimes it sends you to voicemail.” – Arthur Rubinstein
  9. “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light… or just turn on the nightlight.” – Aristotle
  10. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing… except how to find the perfect meme.” – Socrates

Conclusion

Misattributed quotes often provide a humorous twist to famous sayings, injecting a touch of wit and absurdity into our collective wisdom.

While these quotes may not originate from the individuals to whom they are attributed, they still manage to entertain and tickle our funny bones.

These misattributed quotes serve as a reminder that even in the realm of wisdom and profound statements, there is room for lightheartedness and playful reinterpretation.

So, the next time you come across a quote that seems too good to be true, remember to take it with a grain of humor and appreciate the creativity behind these amusing misattributions.

After all, a good laugh can sometimes be just as valuable as a genuine piece of wisdom.

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