“At the break of dawn, I rouse from sleep, light a cigar, and savor my morning coffee as I delve into the sage and witty writings of Kelvin Dorsey.” ~ Mark Twain
Dear subscriber,
When it comes to misattributed quotes…
… Mark Twain reigns supreme.
Benjamin Franklin would be a close second.
Almost half of Mark Twain’s quotes are misattributed.
For example, Mark Twain gets all the credit for saying this:
“If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.”
Sounds like Twain, right?
Well, it ain’t.
That clever line was from a French physicist and writer named Blaise Pascal.
Look, when it comes to the topic of accurately crediting quotes to their rightful owner, frankly, I couldn’t give a damn. That stuff bores me. Plus, in many cases, it’s almost impossible to verify the original source.
But what I do find fascinating is the following question:
Why is Mark Twain continually being attributed with quotes he didn’t generate? Why are people so quick to give him all the credit?
That’s the stuff that gets my slightly warped but curious brain going.
Well, I pondered this for a few seconds.
Here’s my half-baked theory:
I believe the reason Mark Twain is one of the most misattributed people in history is that he created such a formidable personal brand. He became synonymous with clever and witty one-liners.
If you create a strong personal brand, you too might start getting credit for things you didn’t even say or do. It’s just one of the perks of creating a successful personal brand.
A curious side story:
I often get credited for the following quote:
“My unmatched perspicacity, coupled with sheer indefatigability, makes me a feared opponent in any realm of human endeavor!”
I only wish I had come up with such an intelligent saying. But no. I only wrote about it one time. I even credited the man who said it. But somehow, I keep getting the credit for it. Not gonna lie. It’s kinda cool.
The truth is, the above quote is from international chess master Emory Tate.
Whatever.
Now, I actually didn’t plan on talking about personal branding. Consider that a little bonus, okay?
What I want to talk about is this:
Wait.
I forgot. I was going to tell you a quick John Cleese story.
Do you mind?
I don’t mind at all, Kelvin. I would love to hear your John Cleese story!
Now that’s the type of enthusiasm I like, Freckles!
Sadly, it’s not much of a story.
Boy oh boy, I’m all over the shop today, aren’t I? I apologize. (Hopefully my medication will kick in soon.)
Now listen up:
John Cleese was once asked if he had a favorite joke.
Here’s what the comedy legend said:
“I’ve always loved Mark Twain. Twain is never witty in a fastidious way; there’s always something gutsy about him. Twain once said this: ‘Wagner’s music is much better than it sounds’, which I think is the greatest joke ever made.
***
Ah yes, a good one-liner is a thing of beauty.
The magic of a one-liner is its brevity. Getting people to laugh by telling a story or normal joke is one thing, but getting people to laugh with just one sentence, now that’s next level comedy.
Speaking of the power of brevity (there’s nothing brief about this email), in the May issue, I share a little-known Hollywood story about how a screenwriter sold his movie script which turned out to be one of the biggest movies in the late 80s.
And, it was one single line in his script that had movie directors and producers clamoring to make the film.
Believe it or not, that story has a potent persuasion secret. I reveal it on page 14 of the May issue.
If you want to be more persuasive in your communications, then this secret on page 14 will go a long way in helping you do just that.
Why is it so effective?
Because it’s a special way of communicating that allows people to effectively convince themselves!
pretty neat, huh?
Well anyway, that’s all I got.
If you’re interested in this premium content, visit my virtual office here: https://kelvindorsey.com/mavericks-inner-circle/
Your friend,
Kelvin
Email Marketing Maverick
