Quote/Unquote

Love that internet meme with the perfectly pithy quote from a famous person? It’s so inspirational, such an engaging way of saying exactly what you want to share.

Stop!

Step away from the “Share” button and take a moment to be sure it’s really real.

A huge proportion of motivational memes use words never said by the person to whom they’re credited. Sharing them makes you one of the unwitting participants in this lazy scheme of false engagement.

OK, but what’s the harm in sharing beautiful words of inspiration from people we admire?

Listen to legendary comedian George Carlin, one of the most quoted – and misquoted – figures on the internet. He explained it in “Don’t Blame Me,” an essay posted on his website:

“I want people to know that I take care with my writing, and try to keep my standards high. But most of this ‘humor’ on the Internet is just plain stupid. I guess hard-core fans who follow my stuff closely would be able to spot the fake stuff, because the tone of voice is so different. But a casual fan has no way of knowing, and it bothers me that some people might believe I’d actually be capable of writing some of this stuff.”

In the case of other meme misquotes, there’s probably no real harm to the person quoted – and may even help them by making them seem wiser than they are.

But what about the person who actually said what you’re crediting to someone else? Don’t they deserve to be celebrated?

If you’d like to stop blindly forwarding inaccurate memes, here’s a quick three-step process for making sure you’re not putting words in the wrong person’s mouth:

Fact-Checking Famous Words

I’ll use a commonly misattributed quote from Carlin:

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breaths away.”

• Think: Does it sound authentic?

Really? George Carlin? The often-cantankerous, curmudgeonly comic put out this feel-good platitude?

If you still think he said it but want to be sure:

• Give it to Google

Plug it into a search. I found it credited to Carlin on several quote collection sites, but I also found Maya Angelou named as its creator – and the top two search results said neither had written it.

Now you have to figure out which sites to trust:

• Consider the source

Several fact-checking websites specialize in verifying the accuracy of quotes and statements. These sites often investigate claims made by public figures and provide evidence-based assessments of their accuracy.

Three of the best authorities are Wikiquote, Snopes and Quote Investigator. What sets them apart is that they will tell you where the author made the remarks: They’ll cite the book, speech or article where you can find the comment.

On the other hand, you can avoid all this work entirely.

Be Your Own Meme

The wisdom of famous writers, artists and thinkers can make your point effectively, but what’s wrong with using your own words?

Craft your ideas into words that engage and compel your readers, and you're guaranteed to be quoting an original.