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Anonymous Writers
The Truth may come anonymously—like the book of Hebrews. Even if we do not know who first spoke it, if a statement is true, one may build upon it.
“The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12
This collection brings together thoughts whose authorship or exact wording is uncertain, along with sayings whose known source connections are noted below. Some have been attributed to particular individuals without sufficient evidence. They are included here for the truth or value expressed in the thought itself rather than for the name associated with it.
“Don’t walk in front of me . . . I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me . . . I may not lead. Walk beside me . . . just be my friend.”
Often attributed to Albert Camus, but no source has been found in his writings. Source
“If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it is yours. If it does not, it never was.”
“A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it.”
“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
“If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”
“If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?”
“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”
“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
“You never fail until you stop trying.”
“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”
“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”
“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.”
“I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how a man could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.”
“I don't like that man. I must get to know him better.”
“I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down.”
“I would rather be a little nobody, than to be an evil somebody.”
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
Related to remarks Robert G. Ingersoll made about Lincoln; the origin of this exact wording remains uncertain. Source
“Those who look for the bad in people will surely find it.”
Appears to paraphrase a line written by David Swift for Pollyanna (1960). Source
“When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion.”
William Herndon recalled Lincoln repeating this saying of an Indiana man named Glenn. Source
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”