Planetarion Forums

sayonara · 30 Jul 2003, 19:50

Quote:

"It is better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt"

I have seen the quote in Talon's sig attributed to at least 4 people - Ben Franklin, Abe Lincoln, Mark Twain and Silvan Engel.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get out on that there intarwebbyhttp thing and divine the TRUTH of the matter.

Here is a vital clue*

First one back with the answer will be declared KING OF THE MOON.

* possibly a red herring.

MrL_JaKiri · 30 Jul 2003, 19:52

I HAVE RIDDEN THE MIGHTY MOON WORM

sayonara · 30 Jul 2003, 19:55

And I'll bet it was a lot of fun.

Not getting me any answers though is it, Kwisatch-whatever-boy.

Intervention · 30 Jul 2003, 19:57

That's ole Abraham Lincoln talkin'

Apothos · 30 Jul 2003, 19:59

Its a maxim, and not attributable to any single person.

And its in the bible too, sort of.

(Do my jedi senses tell me thats the point of this thread?)

sayonara · 30 Jul 2003, 20:00

Quote:

Originally posted by Intervention
That's ole Abraham Lincoln talkin'

But he could have been reading Mark Twain's latest at the time.

If you want to be LORD OF ALL MOON-MEN, you have to offer proof.

Intervention · 30 Jul 2003, 20:03

Quote:

Originally posted by sayonara
But he could have been reading Mark Twain's latest at the time.

If you want to be LORD OF ALL MOON-MEN, you have to offer proof.

My arrogance informs me that Lincoln was around before Twain, hence this scenario is impossible.

Whilst I go on my quest for evidence, can I crowned winner by default for being the only enterant? ta.

sayonara · 30 Jul 2003, 20:06

Quote:

Originally posted by Intervention
My arrogance informs me that Lincoln was around before Twain, hence this scenario is impossible.

Whilst I go on my quest for evidence, can I crowned winner by default for being the only enterant? ta.

My basic research tells me that Lincoln died 30 years after Twain was born, therefore the scenario is entirely plausible.

So no MOON MEDALS for you... yet.

Apothos · 30 Jul 2003, 20:10

One site recons Mark Twain had severe spilt personalities regarding his political views:

"It is better to sit in silence and appear ignorant, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." -- Mark Twain

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." -- Mark Twain

"It is better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." -- Mark Twain

http://www.ling.helsinki.fi/~widenius/clemens.html

But i think he nicked it from the bible story book (#28):

http://www.bartleby.com/108/20/17.html#28

Lord Talon · 30 Jul 2003, 20:11

wow, the first thread about me

/me is humbled *sniff*

Well, I certainly am open to the possibilty that it was not an original Lincoln quote - I've researched enough lately to see that quotes can often be misattributed. One example being PT Barnum supposedly saying that there was "a sucker born every minute" when apparently a competitor may have actually said it

edit to fix link

JonnyBGood · 30 Jul 2003, 20:15

First ten sites that came up all said Abe Lincoln so I'm going with the dead bearded dude!

sayonara · 30 Jul 2003, 20:25

Quote:

Originally posted by JonnyBGood
First ten sites that came up all said Abe Lincoln so I'm going with the dead bearded dude!

Call me picky sir but I believe your methodology to be flawed.

JonnyBGood · 30 Jul 2003, 20:33

Quote:

Originally posted by sayonara
Call me picky sir but I believe your methodology to be flawed.

Right, fine. I'll go ask Abe Lincoln then should I? Or perhaps Mark Twain?

PS One of those is a joke at least. I think most of them are heh. I'm assuming this one http://www.flat-earth.org is. Best last five questions ever.

sayonara · 30 Jul 2003, 20:37

Quote:

Originally posted by JonnyBGood
PS One of those is a joke at least. I think most of them are heh. I'm assuming this one http://www.flat-earth.org is. Best last five questions ever.

Mwa ha haaa. The 'flat Earth' answer is just the best way of saying "Google is not always right"... because it's so entertaining!!!!

queball · 14 Aug 2003, 03:09

Cochese has the same sig.

Tactitus · 14 Aug 2003, 04:48

Quote:

Originally posted by sayonara
My basic research tells me that Lincoln died 30 years after Twain was born, therefore the scenario is entirely plausible.

No, not really. Twain didn't publish anything until about 1864, when he started working as a correspondent for various newspapers in San Francisco. A few of his stories were picked up by some of the eastern papers, but he was not well known. His first national recognition came with the publication of his story "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog" in the New York Saturday Press, seven months after Lincoln's death.

I Am Grimble · 14 Aug 2003, 10:33

Quote:

"It is better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt" - Kurt Cobain

Radical Edward · 14 Aug 2003, 15:58

Quote:

Originally posted by sayonara
Call me picky sir but I believe your methodology to be flawed.

the internet is so consistently wrong that it saves you from having to think. simply take the opposite view to what you see there, and you are probably right.

sayonara · 14 Aug 2003, 16:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Tactitus
No, not really. Twain didn't publish anything until about 1864, when he started working as a correspondent for various newspapers in San Francisco. A few of his stories were picked up by some of the eastern papers, but he was not well known. His first national recognition came with the publication of his story "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog" in the New York Saturday Press, seven months after Lincoln's death.

Good info, but it remains plausible, since an idea doesn't need to be published or acclaimed to be quoted, cited, referenced or copied.
Although it is looking less likely.

Tactitus · 14 Aug 2003, 17:45

Quote:

Originally posted by sayonara
Good info, but it remains plausible, since an idea doesn't need to be published or acclaimed to be quoted, cited, referenced or copied.

But if it wasn't published or acclaimed, then how would it have ever come to President Lincoln's attention--given that Twain was then an obscure newspaperman on the other side of the continent? Twain certainly would have been familiar with Lincoln's writings, speechs and aphorisms (they would have been printed on the front pages of the papers he was working for) but to suggest that Lincoln would have been familiar with any of Twain's writings--directly or indirectly--begs for a redefinition of 'plausible.' What's plausible is this: Twain borrowed it from Lincoln, or it really is Twain's but has been misattributed to Lincoln, or someone else said it and they both borrowed it (or it was misattributed to both of them).

sayonara · 14 Aug 2003, 17:47

Good answer.

The case for Lincoln over Twain grows stronger.

But what of Franklin and Engel?