Maria Konnikova

In the world of speeches and orations, especially historical ones, the persistent misquotation is understandable. You hear a speech. You misremember or mishear a line as something more colorful than it was.

American Writer

Hesketh Pearson

Misquotation is, in fact, the pride and privilege of the learned. A widely- read man never quotes accurately, for the rather obvious reason that he has read too widely.

English Actor

John McCarthy

With no more than six levels of misquotation, any statement can be made to say whatever you wish.

American Politician

Cary Grant

American Actor

A misquotation can wrongly attribute words to someone who didn't say them.

Wrong Attribution

Changing words in a quote can alter its intended message or tone.

Changed Meaning

Misquotations often spread through social media and can become viral as memes.