Quotation Freak

Fifty years ago a fellow teacher turned me on to actively seeking quotations.

I read an article of his published in a prestigious magazine and I was astonished by the number of quotations in the article. All the quotations were wonderful to read and supported the points he made in the article.

How did he find so many well phrased comments on the ideas he was developing? I asked him and he said that whenever he came across anything that was well phrased, he jotted it down in his notebook. When he was working on a particular topic, he looked hard for the right words that would support his point.

He made me into a quotation freak. I love books of quotations, own hundreds of books of quotations and consult them constantly.

I was looking for yet more books of quotations when I suddenly found he, my mentor of long ago, had compiled a book of great quotations. I read a review of the book that seemed to praise the book and then the man called the book useless. “Some great aphorisms…Problem is, no citations, thus rendering the book useless.”

What? This book contains what you agree to be great aphorisms, great thoughts about the world we all live in, the lives we all lead.’ In fact, you say you “loved the thoughts.” So you love the thoughts but you think the book is useless?

I love quotations – but I almost never copy down who said them. In most cases, I don’t care who said it. What I care about deeply is what they said. For instance, here are some words that have shaped my life: “It is not who you are that matters but who you are in the presence of others.” Those wonderful words made me behave differently than if I had never read those words. Those words have helped me shape my life.

Who cares who said these words, and would the author’s name in any way change the impact of the words? It should not, it would not, though in rare cases it sometimes does matter who said it.

In literature there has long been an argument on author and author’s work. Do you need to know – in fact should you even be told – who wrote the poem, or whether the author of the poem molested little children?

The poem should live on its merits – or die on its merits. Who said it should not change the impact of the poem.

I would never dream of saying – this beautiful, wonderful, moving, thought provoking poem is useless because I do not know who wrote it or when it was written.

Who cares. Read the words. React. I believe that sometimes the author’s name gets in the way of proper appreciation. A few of the quotations I absolutely love emerged from despicable human beings like Hitler and Stalin.

As another author said, an idea should not be held responsible for the people who hold it. The fact that despicable human uttered these words does not mean these words are evil – nor are words uttered by supposedly kind people any more significant because kind, caring people uttered the words.

I need great thoughts, I crave wonderful aphorisms. The lack of attribution in no way makes the thoughts useless, I often think attribution gets in the way, clutters up my mind, biases my reaction.