Comments on: The origin of specious quotes http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/08/14/the-origin-of-specious-quotes/ Because all the other domain names were taken Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:04:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: James http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/08/14/the-origin-of-specious-quotes/comment-page-1/#comment-2041 James Wed, 16 Aug 2006 18:45:10 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=905#comment-2041 After a long search I'm perpared to agree, and I'd also be inclined to say that a lot of what is attributed to Darwin actually comes from his contemporaries (Lamarck, Spencer, et al). The cloest I managed to mind (via an old metafilter thread) was a quote by <a href="http://www.calresco.org/texts/mutaid2.htm" rel="nofollow">Kropotkin in 1902</a>: <blockquote>Those who survive a famine, or a severe epidemic of cholera, or small-pox, or diphtheria, such as we see them in uncivilized countries, are neither the strongest, nor the healthiest, nor the most intelligent ... All that natural selection can do in times of calamities is to spare the individuals endowed with the greatest endurance for privations of all kinds.</blockquote> After a long search I’m perpared to agree, and I’d also be inclined to say that a lot of what is attributed to Darwin actually comes from his contemporaries (Lamarck, Spencer, et al).

The cloest I managed to mind (via an old metafilter thread) was a quote by Kropotkin in 1902:

Those who survive a famine, or a severe epidemic of cholera, or small-pox, or diphtheria, such as we see them in uncivilized countries, are neither the strongest, nor the healthiest, nor the most intelligent … All that natural selection can do in times of calamities is to spare the individuals endowed with the greatest endurance for privations of all kinds.

]]> By: Paul Davies http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/08/14/the-origin-of-specious-quotes/comment-page-1/#comment-2039 Paul Davies Wed, 16 Aug 2006 12:05:25 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=905#comment-2039 It's more Machiavelli than Darwin. "[Men] are successful if their methods match the circumstances and unsuccessful if they do not." But I guess that wouldn't go down so well for a home secretary, however similar to the chaps Niccolo was talking about he may be. It’s more Machiavelli than Darwin.

“[Men] are successful if their methods match the circumstances and unsuccessful if they do not.”

But I guess that wouldn’t go down so well for a home secretary, however similar to the chaps Niccolo was talking about he may be.

]]> By: Quinn http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/08/14/the-origin-of-specious-quotes/comment-page-1/#comment-2026 Quinn Mon, 14 Aug 2006 18:31:38 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=905#comment-2026 The quote certainly sounds more "Who Moved My Cheese" than "The Voyage Of The Beagle". The quote certainly sounds more “Who Moved My Cheese” than “The Voyage Of The Beagle”.

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