Here is an example in 1915 that was based on a modification of a classic remark credited to Thomas Edison: 4Įdison said “ninety per cent of a man’s success in business is perspiration.” He would have hit it more nearly had he said, “ninety per cent of a man’s success is due to intelligent work.”
Here are additional selected citations in chronological order.Įxplicating success by splitting it into percentages has a long history. The details of this interesting cite are given further below. In 1989 Woody Allen was asked about this saying by William Safire, the language columnist for the New York Times, and Allen replied with a letter in which he asserted: “I did say that 80 percent of success is showing up.” Hence, Allen accepted credit for a common variant of the expression using the word “success” instead of “life”. This citation is given in two key reference works: The Yale Book of Quotations 2 and The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs 3 both from Yale University Press. As Woody says, ‘Showing up is 80 percent of life.’ Sometimes it’s easier to hide home in bed. The following words were spoken by Marshall Brickman, but he attributed the adage to Woody Allen.
Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman co-wrote the Oscar winning screenplay for the 1977 movie Annie Hall, and they were interviewed together by the journalist Susan Braudy. Quote Investigator: The earliest close match known to QI was printed in the New York Times in August 1977. Could you explore the provenance of these sayings? Some of these expressions are credited to the famous comedian and director Woody Allen, but I have not located a solid citation. Seventy-five percent of life is showing up. Ninety percent of success is just showing up. She is the author of the acclaimed Everyday Magic, Magical Needlework, In Praise of the Crone, Yule, Bud, Blossom & Leaf: The Magical Herb Gardener's Handbook, The Craft, and The Craft Companion, among other works.Woody Allen? Marshall Brickman? Donkey Hotey? Apocryphal? Anonymous?ĭear Quote Investigator: I am trying to track down the origin of a quotation about success in life that has divaricated into many versions. Dorothy's work has been published in many journals and magazines, including Circle Network News, SageWoman, and Crone Chronicles. A former state championship archer and bow hunter, Dorothy's current interests include Tarot work, magical herbalism, stonework, and computer networking. She founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft of Wicca to students both in the United States and in Australia. Dorothy is a Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, and has been an avid practitioner of the ancient arts for more than twenty years. Dorothy is a member of the Pagan Poet's Society and a charter member of M.A.G.I.C., a magical writer's and artist's organization. Originally from Texas, Dorothy Morrison now lives the magical life in Maine with her family.
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