[Ads-l] Quote: Never explain: your friends don=?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=99t_require_it=2C_and_your_enemies_won=E2=80=99t_?=believe you, anyway

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Back on October 3, 2022 Mark Mandel mentioned a version of the
quotation in the subject line. I replied with a Feb 22, 1904 newspaper
citation crediting Elbert Hubbard. Now, I have found a direct citation
in Hubbard’s publication "The Philistine" in February 1904.

British politician Victor Grayson also used an instance in 1908.
Humorist P. G. Wodehouse penned a thematically related remark in 1910.

https://quoteinvestigator.medium.com/d14410d108f5
Abbreviated article:
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2023/01/24/explain-friends/

[Begin acknowledgement]
Great thanks to Jonathan Lighter, Fred Shapiro, Stephen Goranson, Mark
Mandel, Pete Morris, and John Baker who participated in a discussion
thread on this topic which led QI to formulate this question and
perform this exploration. Thanks to Fred Shapiro and Ralph Keyes for
their previous research.
[End acknowledgement]

Previously, I wrote about a related expression:

Never retract. Never explain. Get it done and let them howl
https://quoteinvestigator.medium.com/730e1412b7a
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2023/01/20/howl/

Garson

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