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How many famous one-liners are oft-quoted but may be sometimes or even always wrong? I can think of a few:

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Thank Nietszche for this one. It can be true in cases, but sadly, there are a huge number of things which don't kill you but leave you weakened. Many childhood diseases leave the victim alive but crippled for life. A spinal-cord injury that turns you into a quadriplegic can hardly be said to make you stronger. A childhood abuse trauma tends to cause a lifetime of neuroses. In fact, I think this quote is actually based on a widespread misconception of evolution theory's "survival of the fittest" mechanism. In evolution, the strong survive. This does not mean that surviving something actually makes you stronger; it means that those who are already stronger are more likely to survive.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

This one is bullshit as far as I'm concerned. While separation may be good for healing old wounds (except in the case of the obsessive; see people like Darkstar, who obsesses over me constantly, and Bernd Schneider, who has obsessed over me for the whole 3-year period since we exchanged E-mail; WTF is with these people?), it generally destroys marriages.

If you don't have anything good to say, say nothing at all.

Ah, so if someone does something horrible, you should keep your trap shut? That kind of thing is known as apathy. As an engineer, I could face serious disciplinary action if I said nothing when witnessing an example of serious incompetence, even if it's not my direct responsibility.

There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.

This is one of the most blatantly false "wise sayings" you'll ever run across. Sorry, but there are stupid questions, and I've seen more than my share. For example, the creationist question: "if evolution is true, then why do apes still exist today?" is definitely a stupid question.

"You can do anything if you put your mind to it."

Ugh, what utter garbage.

There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.

I perfer Mr. Garrison's version:

"There are no stupid questions, just stupid people."

"Nothing is worth doing if it isn't done right."

Darth Wong wrote:How many famous one-liners are oft-quoted but may be sometimes or even always wrong? I can think of a few:

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Thank Nietszche for this one. It can be true in cases, but sadly, there are a huge number of things which don't kill you but leave you weakened. Many childhood diseases leave the victim alive but crippled for life. A spinal-cord injury that turns you into a quadriplegic can hardly be said to make you stronger. A childhood abuse trauma tends to cause a lifetime of neuroses. In fact, I think this quote is actually based on a widespread misconception of evolution theory's "survival of the fittest" mechanism. In evolution, the strong survive. This does not mean that surviving something actually makes you stronger; it means that those who are already stronger are more likely to survive.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

This one is bullshit as far as I'm concerned. While separation may be good for healing old wounds (except in the case of the obsessive; see people like Darkstar, who obsesses over me constantly, and Bernd Schneider, who has obsessed over me for the whole 3-year period since we exchanged E-mail; WTF is with these people?), it generally destroys marriages.

If you don't have anything good to say, say nothing at all.

Ah, so if someone does something horrible, you should keep your trap shut? That kind of thing is known as apathy. As an engineer, I could face serious disciplinary action if I said nothing when witnessing an example of serious incompetence, even if it's not my direct responsibility.

There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.

This is one of the most blatantly false "wise sayings" you'll ever run across. Sorry, but there are stupid questions, and I've seen more than my share. For example, the creationist question: "if evolution is true, then why do apes still exist today?" is definitely a stupid question.

yeah, the abscence one fucked me up, for a while.

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:"You can do anything if you put your mind to it."

Ugh, what utter garbage.

give me time.

"Sleep like a baby." Biggest crock of shit....

Darth Wong wrote:This is one of the most blatantly false "wise sayings" you'll ever run across. Sorry, but there are stupid questions, and I've seen more than my share. For example, the creationist question: "if evolution is true, then why do apes still exist today?" is definitely a stupid question.

My History teacher used to say:

"There are no stupid questions, but that one was pretty close."

Sonnenburg wrote:"Sleep like a baby." Biggest crock of shit....

Considering that babies do often sleep for extremely lengthy amounts of time, I don't think that one fits into the topic's category really.

Shinova wrote:

Sonnenburg wrote:"Sleep like a baby." Biggest crock of shit....

Considering that babies do often sleep for extremely lengthy amounts of time, I don't think that one fits into the topic's category really.

There are some babies who do that. Trust me when I say the parents of those babies are lucky.

they just sleep at really odd hrs.

Wong: Just as a possibility on that first quote: It doesn't have to make one stronger in the physical sense, does it? But then, mental instabilioty issues don't always kill, and they make people stronger in different ways, sometimes. Not always the [best] ways, but in some ways. Just look at serial killers. They made themselves stronger in the sense of fear. They grew their fearsomeness.. [shrugs] Take it as you will.

Pablo Sanchez wrote:

Darth Wong wrote:This is one of the most blatantly false "wise sayings" you'll ever run across. Sorry, but there are stupid questions, and I've seen more than my share. For example, the creationist question: "if evolution is true, then why do apes still exist today?" is definitely a stupid question.

My History teacher used to say:

"There are no stupid questions, but that one was pretty close."

My best friend and now I like to use this one:

"There are no stupid questions, just lots of inquisitive idiots."

"Live for Today."

This one will either get you killed, heartbroken, or seriously in debt. Or just merely poor.

"You can't judge a book by its cover."

Not completely wrong, but not completely right, either. If it looks like shit and smells like shit, then it probably is, in fact, shit.

"Cheaters never prosper."

Ahem. BULLSHIT, BULLSHIT, BULLSHIT.

Durran Korr wrote: "Cheaters never prosper."

Ahem. BULLSHIT, BULLSHIT, BULLSHIT.

Depends on what they mean by "prosper" in my opinion.

verilon wrote:Wong: Just as a possibility on that first quote: It doesn't have to make one stronger in the physical sense, does it? But then, mental instabilioty issues don't always kill, and they make people stronger in different ways, sometimes. Not always the [best] ways, but in some ways. Just look at serial killers. They made themselves stronger in the sense of fear. They grew their fearsomeness.. [shrugs] Take it as you will.

I wouldn't say a serial killer is strong; I would say a serial killer is a pathetic, weak person who lashes out cruelly at the world he fears.

My problem with the quote is that it is taken a axiomatic. A more accurate phrase would be "what doesn't kill you might teach you something, or it might just leave you totally fucked up".

Shinova wrote:

Sonnenburg wrote:"Sleep like a baby." Biggest crock of shit....

Considering that babies do often sleep for extremely lengthy amounts of time, I don't think that one fits into the topic's category really.

A more accurate phrase would be "Sleep like a baby that has gotten beyond that whole up every three hours bit and isn't woken up by the sound of a gnat farting in the next house and hopefully had a fresh diaper change, that baby yeah."

Darth Wong wrote:

verilon wrote:Wong: Just as a possibility on that first quote: It doesn't have to make one stronger in the physical sense, does it? But then, mental instabilioty issues don't always kill, and they make people stronger in different ways, sometimes. Not always the [best] ways, but in some ways. Just look at serial killers. They made themselves stronger in the sense of fear. They grew their fearsomeness.. [shrugs] Take it as you will.

I wouldn't say a serial killer is strong; I would say a serial killer is a pathetic, weak person who lashes out cruelly at the world he fears.

My problem with the quote is that it is taken a axiomatic. A more accurate phrase would be "what doesn't kill you might teach you something, or it might just leave you totally fucked up".

I never said the strength in some way was a strength in personality, just a growth in strength. Do you see where I'm trying to go with this? BTW, I totsally agree with you.

Chuck, didn't you write up a big list of things like this ?

"Crime doesn't pay."

Bullshit.

"Sweating like a pig."

Ghost Rider wrote:"Crime doesn't pay."

Bullshit.

Indeed. If it didn't pay, why would they do it?

"The lack of proof is further evidence of his guilt."

"640k Should Be Enough for Anybody."
- Bill Gates

"You can do anything you want with your life"

BULLSHIT

How do I know this to be true?

-The 5'11 retarded white kid from my hometown who was guaran-damn-teed he would be playing in the NBA.

-A close personal friend of mine who wanted to travel the country and live a free life who was sudenly grounded by a pregancy (not mine for thoe inquisitive minds)

-A friend of mine who wanted to get active in local politics, unfortunately he has an extensive "criminal" record.

- Myself, up until I was 13 or so I wanted to be an Air Force pilot above anything else and kept my grades extremely high and kept in shape. (Not that it mattered but you like to have a head start) then my vision took a turn like a Trekkie debate, now I wear thick pieces of acryllic over my eyes just so I can find my way to the toilet. Let alone dogfighting in the blue skies over Baghdad.

Im sure you all have sob stories as well

War is Hell Sherman is often quoted as saying that but its actually War isn`t all Glory its all Hell