Modern proverb: Life is a journey, not a destination (1920)

[Garson O'Toole]

Life is a journey, not a destination

The expression above is often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is
listed in the Dictionary of Modern Proverbs (DMP) with a first cite in
1941 (unconnected to Emerson.)

Cite: 2012, The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs, Compiled by Charles
Clay Doyle, Wolfgang Mieder, and Fred R. Shapiro, [Phrase: Life is a
journey, not a destination], Page 142, Yale University Press, New
Haven. (Verified on paper)

There is a snowclone with this template:

X is a journey, not a destination

DMP contains entries for some other members of the snowclone, e.g.,
Success (Accomplishment) is a journey, not a destination; Education is
a journey not destination; Happiness is a journey not a destination.

I was asked to explore this topic and was able to make some progress
on a few of the expressions. The QI blog now has an entry here:

http://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/08/31/life-journey/

Here is part of the information in the entry:

In 1920 a periodical called "The Christian Advocate" printed an
instance of "life is a journey and not a destination." The phrase was
used by the theologian Lynn H. Hough within his outline for a Sunday
School Lesson discussing a letter from Simon Peter.

Cite: 1920 February 19, The Christian Advocate, [The Sunday School
Lesson: Conducted by Lynn H. Hough: First Quarter - Lesson IX -
February 29, 1920], Quote Page 266, Column 2, The Methodist Book
Concern Publishers, New York. (Google Books full view)

http://books.google.com/books?id=3BBQAAAAYAAJ&q=%22life+is+a+journey%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
He wanted his friends to realize that life is a journey and not a
destination; that the heart must be set upon those matters of
character which are eternal and not upon those matters of sensation
which pass away.
[End excerpt]

Garson

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org