Tuesday, April 26, 2011

A Lie’s Legs . . .

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. . . and Truth’s Footwear

“‘A lie will go ‘round the world while truth is pulling its boots on.’ — Mark Twain

“Just to demonstrate how true that statement is, that statement is false.

“Well, the sentiment expressed can hardly be disproved. But, a mildly diligent Google search undermines the widespread belief that it was ever uttered by the Great American Writer. . . .

“Ideas are cast out upon the sea of human communication, whether by Pony Express or Tweetdeck, and the way they are accepted and internalized is dependent on how each one fits into our preconceived notions of the world. . . .

“Which makes me wonder how anyone can seriously believe some of the garbage that has been turning up in my email recently. It isn’t attributed to Mark Twain, Ronald Reagan, The Salt Lake Tribune, The New York Times, Fox News or the Elves, Leprechauns and Little Men’s Chowder & Marching Society. It just shows up, out of nowhere, with no more sourcing than ‘Lookee here.’”

—George Pyle, editorial writer, “The truth needs help tying its shoes,”
The Salt Lake Tribune
, April 24, 2011

Editorial Comment: Hey, I need help with my socks.

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1 comment:

  1. I have a quote from Churchill, allegedly, about not his shoes – or his socks – but his pants.

    So much is made up. So much is misattributed. We should focus more simply on the content, don’t you think?

    —Tony

    ReplyDelete