10 Quotes from History That Are Often Misunderstood

Famous phrases are frequently misquoted, though these errors often don’t alter the overall meaning. For example, the difference between “Houston, we have a problem” and the actual statement made during the Apollo 13 mission, “Houston, we’ve had a problem,” is minimal.

However, some quotes have been completely misconstrued, sometimes even used to convey the opposite of their original intent. Here are 10 widely recognized quotes that have experienced this misinterpretation.

“Lift yourself up by your own bootstraps.”

Today, the phrase “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” is often used to encourage someone to achieve success through their own efforts without external assistance. While meant to inspire, it can come across as dismissive to those facing uncontrollable challenges. This insensitivity is inherent in the phrase itself, as lifting oneself by bootstraps is physically impossible—a fact that aligns with the idiom’s original meaning.

The expression dates back to 1834, when Nimrod Murphree falsely claimed to have invented perpetual motion. A journalist from The Woodstock Mercury, and Windsor County Advertiser exposed this fabrication, mocking, “Perhaps Mr. Murphree has managed to hoist himself over the Cumberland river or a barnyard fence using only his bootstraps.”

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.”

The concluding lines of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” (1915) are frequently interpreted as an ode to forging one’s own path rather than following the crowd. However, the poem complicates this reading by depicting both roads as nearly identical. The choice of path was inconsequential, yet the narrator convinces themselves it was significant. As David Orr, Professor of Poetry at Rutgers University, notes, “The poem isn’t a tribute to rugged individualism; it’s a reflection on how we deceive ourselves when crafting the narratives of our lives.”

“Well-behaved women seldom make history.”

This seemingly defiant statement is often paired with images of iconic female trailblazers like Rosa Parks. While sometimes mistakenly credited to Marilyn Monroe, the phrase originates from a 1976 journal article by historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich [PDF], which focused on Puritan women.

Taken out of context, the quote appears to advocate for women to act out, but Ulrich’s full sentence clarifies: “against Antinomians and witches, these pious matrons have had little chance at all.” In essence, Ulrich argues that well-behaved women are often overlooked by history, yet their stories are equally worthy of remembrance.

“Hell is other people.”

This line from Jean-Paul Sartre’s 1944 play No Exit, set in hell, might appear to champion misanthropy, but its meaning is more nuanced. In 1964, Sartre explained that he didn’t imply “relations with others are inherently toxic or hellish.” The play explores how others’ judgments shape our self-perception, which becomes hellish, according to Sartre, “only when relationships are corrupted or distorted.”

“One bad apple.”

The expression one bad apple is frequently used to single out a problematic individual within a group. However, this is an abbreviated—and thus misleading—version of the original saying. The complete phrase, one bad apple spoils the barrel/bunch, conveys that a single negative influence can corrupt others, much like how a rotten apple causes nearby fruit to decay.

This proverb dates back to the 14th century. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, specifically “The Cook’s Tale,” the apprentice Perkyn is dismissed due to fears that his immoral behavior would infect his peers: “Better a rotten apple be removed from the store / Than let it spoil the rest.”

“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”

Many modern listeners misinterpret the word wherefore in Juliet’s iconic speech from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, assuming it means “where.” However, wherefore actually translates to “why.” Juliet isn’t questioning Romeo’s location but lamenting why he must bear the name Romeo, as their family names are the barrier to their love. This is evident in her following line: “Deny thy father and refuse thy name.”

“Now is the winter of our discontent.”

Another frequently misunderstood Shakespearean quote originates from Richard III. The play begins with Richard, not yet king, proclaiming, “Now is the winter of our discontent.” While often cited to describe difficult times, the full sentence refers to the resolution of political strife: “Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this son of York.” Here, winter symbolizes an end (as well as harsh conditions), indicating that Richard’s brother, King Edward IV, has resolved their family’s troubles by ascending to the English throne, ushering in brighter, more prosperous days.

“Money is the root of all evil.”

This biblical quote is frequently cited to claim that money is inherently evil, but the original phrase omits three crucial words. The full version reads, the love of money is the root of all evil (Timothy 6:10). The issue isn’t money itself but the greed for wealth, which can lead to immoral actions.

“A rolling stone gathers no moss.”

This saying—which inspired the names of The Rolling Stones band and Rolling Stone magazine, as well as one of Bob Dylan’s most famous songs—is often interpreted as celebrating a nomadic, carefree lifestyle. Historically, however, it carried the opposite meaning, with moss symbolizing stability and achievement.

The proverb gained prominence during the Renaissance through Erasmus’s Adagia, which features the phrase, Lapis obuolutus non obducitur musco (“The rolling stone gathers no moss”). While Erasmus doesn’t elaborate, John Ray’s 18th-century proverb collection compares it to a saying by Quintilian, a 1st-century Roman scholar: “A plant often moved cannot flourish.”

“Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.”

The first line of Rudyard Kipling’s 1889 poem “The Ballad of East and West” is occasionally cited to suggest that two cultures or ideologies are irreconcilable and has been used as evidence of Kipling’s racial prejudices. Regardless of the author’s personal stance on race, the poem’s subsequent lines contradict this interpretation, emphasizing that individuals from diverse backgrounds can meet as equals: “But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth, / When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!”

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