The Many Quotations Often Misattributed To Winston Churchill

Fame generates more fame. Even if it is unwarranted at times.

Photo by Leo Wieling on Unsplash

Winston Churchill was a British statesman and politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955.

He is known for his leadership during World War II and his eloquent and influential speeches. Churchill was also a prolific writer and historian, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his many published works.

There are many quotes that are often misattributed to Winston Churchill. Here are a few examples:

1. “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” This quote is often attributed to Churchill, but it was actually said by his contemporary, Norman MacEwan.
2. “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” This quote is often attributed to Churchill, but it was actually said by his contemporary, Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
3. “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” This quote is often attributed to Churchill, but it was actually said by Mahatma Gandhi.
4. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” This quote is often attributed to Churchill, but it actually comes from a letter written by Edmund Burke in 1770.
5. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” This quote is often attributed to Churchill, but it actually comes from a speech given by American football coach Vince Lombardi.
6. “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” This quote is often attributed to Churchill, but it appears to be a modern saying with no known origin.
7. “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” This quote is often attributed to Churchill, but it appears to be a modern saying with also no known origin.
8. “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”This quote is often attributed to Churchill, but it appears to be a modern saying with still no known origin.
9. “I am a man of simple tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.” This quote is often attributed to Churchill, but it actually appears to be a modern saying with no known origin.
10. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” This quote is often attributed to Churchill, but it appears to be a modern saying with no known origin.

Seems like old Winston was given credit for lines and turns of phrase when there was no one else. But to be clear, these do not take, in any way, anything from the great words and works of one Winston Churchill.

I’m sure there are still more misattributions not included here. Why don’t you list some of them in the comments?