Posted by Eugene Volokh:
Careful With That Quote:
For some reason, I was thinking recently about commonly used quotes
that, when read in their original context, mean something quite
different -- sometimes nearly the opposite -- of what many modern
quoters use them to mean. For example, "East is East, and West is
West, and never the twain shall meet" is usually used to suggest that
two cultures are ultimately irreconcilable; but the [1]full quote is
very different:
OH, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God�s great Judgment Seat;
But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,
When two strong men stand face to face, tho� they come from the
ends of the earth!
Likewise, some people defend antitrust law by quoting Adam Smith's
line "People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for
merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy
against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices." But Smith
actually said:
People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment
and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against
the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices. It is
impossible indeed to prevent such meetings, by any law which either
could be executed, or would be consistent with liberty and justice.
Hardly a ringing defense of antitrust law.
Similarly, "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers," from
[2]Shakespeare's Henry VI, part 2, is said by a revolutionary who is
not portrayed as a particular sensible character; shortly afterwards,
Dick (who said the line) and Cade (who agreed with it) move on to
condemn anyone who can write.
So my question: What other such quotes can people come up with? Again,
I'm looking for quotes that (1) are pretty famous and (2) are often
used to mean one thing, but where (3) the original work is saying
nearly the exact opposite (either because the original line was
facetious, or was followed by something of a "Yes, but," as in the
Kipling or in the Smith quotes).
Please post your suggestions in the comments, and please stick within
these three rules.
References
1. http://www.bartleby.com/246/1129.html
2. http://www.william-shakespeare.info/act4-script-text-henry-vi-part2.htm
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