Fake Quotes

Fake quotes, or tendentiously misattributed quotes, are recently invented quotes ascribed to notable figures of the past. They circulate as Internet memes, often in mass emails but also across websites. They usually arise in political contexts, and their aim is to give credibility to the views being espoused. They are not necessarily tied to fake news, in that the views espoused may be true. But fake quotes are designed to give an air of plausibility to the views being advanced, and they do it in a deceptive way by claiming the authority and reputation of the person to whom the quote is falsely attributed. Often it's not the case that the quote in question belongs to some other famous personage, so that correcting the problem is simply to attribute the quote correctly. Fake quotes, especially as they are used in political contexts after 2020, are often invented on the fly, made to be pithy and memorable, and to fit some situation in which political gain is sought.
For instance, in 2021, the following quote attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato circulated among conservatives and right-wing advocates: "If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools." eBook versions of the main complete English translations of Plato's works are readily available online, such as, for instance, the older Benjamin Jowett translation and also the James M. Cooper edition, with multiple translators. A search through these translations reveals no quote like this about people being doomed by ignoring government. In fact, a reading of Plato's most popular work, the Republic, suggests that this could not have been Plato's view because he divides humans into different classes, and only the philosopher-king oligarchy class has any standing in state or political matters.
The longevity of this Plato quote is in part due to its refutation depending on a careful search of Plato's writings in different translations. Other fake quotes, however, are more quickly dismissed. At the same time that the Plato quote was circulating, a quote supposedly by Fyodor Dostoevsky was making the rounds: "Tolerance will reach such a level that intelligent people will be banned from thinking so as not to offend the imbeciles." This quote has since been disproved.
It's probably worth distinguishing fake quotes from good-faith approximate quotes. Take the statement widely attributed to Voltaire: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." The quote is actually by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, who was a Voltaire scholar. The quote itself appears in her anecdotal biography of Voltaire, The Friends of Voltaire. The quote in all likelihood was not by him, but it captures his views and spirit, so it seems unfair to call it a fake quote. Or consider the following quote ascribed to Arthur Schopenhauer: "Truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident." Although Schopenhauer never said or wrote this, he did write something similar: "Regarding truth, only a brief celebration of victory is allowed between the two long periods during which it is condemned as paradoxical, or disparaged as trivial."
Organizations refuting fake quotes
*Quote Investigator.
*Snopes.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu