“Every day, in every way…”

FAMOUS PSYCHOTHERAPY MANTRA: “Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.” (“Tous les jours, a tous points de vue, je vais de mieux en mieux.”)         Émile Coué (1857-1926)        French psychologist and pharmacist        Coué was renowned for his theories about the healing power of “conscious autosuggestion” or self-hypnosis, also called Couéism or the Coué method. This famous line was inscribed on the wall of Coué’s sanitarium in Nancy, France in 1910 and promoted in his books, such as De la suggestion et de ses application (“On Suggestion and its Applications”), published in 1915.        Coué claimed that people with mental or physical problems could be cured by saying his catchphrase to themselves 15 to 20 times every day.

UPDATED PSYCHOTHERAPY QUOTE: “It seems to me that psychotherapy, perhaps like so much else in our current culture, has learned to chant a distinctly counter-Coué mantra: ‘Every day, in every way, I get worse and worse.’”        Professor Ernesto Spinelli        British psychotherapist and psychologist        In his book The Mirror and the Hammer (2004)

WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY COUNTERQUOTE: “Every day, in every way, things [in America] are getting worse and worse. It wouldn’t be so bad if, while running through the darkening wood, we knew we were headed toward daylight, but we don’t know any such thing.”        William F. Buckley Jr. (1925-2008)        Conservative political commentator and author        In his column in The National Review, July 2, 1963

SCARY MOTHER TERESA VARIATION: “We think of our own faces as ugly because of the wrinkles and lines and sagging flesh...When you look in the mirror, don't ask yourself whether you look like Marilyn Monroe. Say instead to yourself — every day in every way, I look more like Mother Teresa!”        Dr. Ronda Chervin        American theologist        In her book Seeking Christ in the Crosses & Joys of Aging (2003)

HENRY MILLER’S COSMIC VERSION: “I am living out my share of life and thus abetting the scheme of things. I further the development, the enrichment, the evolution and the devolution of the cosmos, every day in every way. I give all I have to give, voluntarily, and take as much as I can possibly ingest.”        Henry Miller (1891-1980)        American novelist, painter and social commentator        In his book The Wisdom of the Heart (1960)

TRANSFORMERS BEAST WAR VERSION: “EVERY DAY, IN EVERY WAY, I’M GETTING BADDER.”        Hydra        His motto in The Transformers Beast Wars Sourcebook (2008)

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Opiates of the people: from religion and cellphones to voting and political correctness…

THE FAMOUS OVERSIMPLIFIED SOUND BITE: “Religion...is the opium of the people.” (“Die Religion...ist das Opium des Volks.”)        Karl Marx (1818-83)        German philosopher, historian and “Founding Father” of socialism and communism        In his Critique of the Hegelian Philosophy of Right (1844)        The quote above (sometimes translated as “Religion...is the opiate of the people” or “Religion...is the opium of the masses”) is the familiar, condensed sound bite taken from a more nuanced point Marx made in the introduction to A Critique of the Hegelian Philosophy of Right. Here’s what he actually said: “Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions.”

THE MODERN ZOMBIE APPLICATION: “Cellphones are the new opiate of the masses, stifling conversation with friends and strangers alike, even worse than those music-carrying earbuds that keep people looking straight ahead like cattle, showing blank, uncurious faces, totally unaware that we might be approaching the slaughterhouse.”        Tony Vagneur         American rancher and newspaper columnist        In his March 27, 2015 column in the The Aspen Times

THE COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY COUNTERQUOTE: “REVOLUTION IS THE OPIUM OF THE INTELLECTUALS.”        Graffiti on a wall in the film O Lucky Man! (1973)

AN AMERICAN COMMUNIST’S COUNTERQUOTE: “I think voting is the opium of the masses in this country. Every four years you deaden the pain.”        Line spoken the film Reds (1981) by American Communist leader Emma Goldman (played by actress Maureen Stapleton)         It does not appear to be taken from Goldman’s actual written works

THE ANTI-PC VARIATION: “Political correctness is the opium of the liberal…It makes them feel good.”          Comment in a letter to the editor in the suburban Chicago Daily Herald, August 20, 2010

THE HOMOSEXUAL TAUTOLOGIST’S VARIATION: Gudrun (actress Susanne Sachsse): “Heterosexuality is the opiate of the masses.” Holger (actor Daniel Bätscher): “I thought opiates were the opiate of the masses.”        In the film The Raspberry Reich (2004)

THE ECONOMISTS’ VARIATION: “Popular culture distracts and confuses Americans through distorting perceptions of social issues and existing social institutions. If religion was ‘the opium of the masses’ in the nineteenth century, the electronic media is the ‘opium of the masses’ in the late twentieth century.”        Economists William E. Halal and Kenneth B. Taylor        In their book 21st Century Economics (1999)

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“What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” – or maybe not…

THE (IN)FAMOUS AD SLOGAN: “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.”        Ad slogan used since 2005 by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority         This famous nudge-nudge, wink-wink line evolved from the earlier advertising slogan “What Happens Here, Stays Here,” created in 2002 by the Authority’s ad agency R&R Partners, Inc. Both versions suggest (not very subtly) that people can have sexual liaisons or do other wild and crazy things on vacation trips to Las Vegas and keep it secret. The “What Happens in Vegas...” version became the subject of fierce trademark litigation after it began showing up on “unauthorized” t-shirts and other souvenirs. Of course, the basic linguistic formula used in the Vegas ad slogans is not new. For example, a much older saying among traveling salesmen is “What happens on the road, stays on the road.” And, a traditional variation long used by musicians is “What happens on tour, stays on tour.”

THE INDIANA RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT OBSERVATION: “As much as I’d like to think what happens in Indiana stays in Indiana, that’s not likely to be the case. So even if it was convenient and desirable (or even possible) for every progressive Hoosier to move out, it won’t let us quarantine Indiana so that the garbage legislation doesn’t spread.”         Reader comment on a post about the controversy over Indiana's so-called “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” on the progressive blog Shakesville.com        (Cartoon by Darkow via the Columbia Daily Tribune.)

THE VAGUELY PUNNY VARIATION: “Ambiguity: What Happens In Vagueness Stays In Vagueness.”        Slogan on t-shirts sold via CafePress

THE HANGOVER MOVIE VERSION: “Remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Except for herpes. That shit’ll come back with you.”        Actor Jeffrey Tambor, as the character Sid Garner, in movie The Hangover (2009)

THE BRANSON HANGOVER VERSION: “You can never leave Branson – it will always stay with you. I’ve hit an All American Wall, suffering from a bad case of Red State Madness – like a hangover but without the drinking, as I shit red, white and blue with a constant dry taste of Jesus in my mouth, amidst bad entertainment, bad food, fat, old Americans and utter lack of culture. As they say, ‘What happens in Branson stays in Branson, especially with Our Lord Jesus Christ looking over it.’”          Harmon Leon        American author, journalist and comedian         In his quirky travel guide National Lampoon Road Trip USA (2007)        Commenting on the “family vacation destination” tourist town Branson, Missouri, where you can see shows like Noah: The Musical

THE FML VERSION: “Today, I learned that what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas. This includes my one night stand who turned up outside my front door with a suitcase in her hand.”        Posted by “NeverDrinkingAgain” on the FMLife.com website

THE KIDDY VERSION: “What Happens in Preschool Stays in Preschool”        Slogan used on a line of clothing for preschool kids and their parents

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One man’s – or woman’s – trash is another’s treasure...

THE TRASH TO TREASURE RULE: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”         A popular proverbial saying in America since the late 20th century. Its basic meaning is that something which seems worthless to one person is often deemed valuable by another. This modern proverb is, of course, a variation of the much older English proverb “One man's meat is another man's poison,” which dates back to sometime before 1709, when it was recorded by language scholar Oswald Dykes in his book English Proverbs.

THE TRASHY MEN RULE: “One woman’s trash is another woman’s boyfriend.”          Laura Ruby         American novelist        Quip made by a character in Ruby’s novel I’m Not Julia Roberts (2007)

THE TRAMP STAMP VARIATION: “One woman’s tramp stamp is another woman’s declaration of undying love — until she dumps the lying SOB and is stuck with his name forever.”          Alexis Munier        American-born writer currently living in Switzerland        From her entry about the term “tramp stamp” in The Little Red Book of Very Dirty Words (2009)

THE FAMOUS COHEN V. CALIFORNIA FREE SPEECH DECISION: “One man’s vulgarity is another man’s lyric.”        U.S. Supreme Court Justice John M. Harlan II (1899-1971)        In majority opinion he wrote for the Supreme Court’s decision on Cohen v. California (1971)        The case involved an anti-Vietnam War activist named Paul Cohen, who had been convicted of “offensive conduct” and sentenced to 30 days in jail for publicly wearing a jacket that had “FUCK THE DRAFT” printed on it. The Court reversed Cohen’s conviction, finding that it violated his Constitutional right to free speech under the First Amendment.

THE OGDEN NASH QUIP: “One man’s remorse is another man’s reminiscence.”               Ogden Nash (1902-1971)         American poet and humorist         From his poem “A Clean Conscience Never Relaxes” (1936), included in his book I’m a Stranger Here Myself (1938)

THE BOOB JOB QUIP: “One woman’s self-objectifying excess is another woman’s décolletage.”        Ann Scales (1952-2012)        American law professor and author         In her book Legal Feminism (2006)

THE CHARLIE SHEEN SPIT JOB QUIP: “One man’s saliva is another man’s mousse.”        Charlie Sheen, as the character Charlie Harper        In an episode of his former TV series Two and a Half Men (“Can You Eat Human Flesh with Wooden Teeth?”, first aired February 14, 2005)

NICK MANCUSO’S OBSERVATION ABOUT RELIGION: “One man’s superstition is another man’s religion!”          Nick Mancuso, as the Indian police officer Youngman Duran         One of his lines in the batty horror movie Nightwing (1979)

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“Government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

LINCOLN’S FAMOUS QUOTE AND ITS INSPIRATION: “We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”        President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)         The closing words of his Gettysburg Address, delivered on November 19, 1863 (as recorded in the “Hay Copy” of the speech stored at the Library of Congress, one of five written versions)        As noted in The Quote Verifier and other sources, Lincoln’s phrase “government of the people, by the people, for the people” is the best known use of the of/by/for the people formula, but Lincoln probably adapted his version from a similar phrase used in the 1850s by abolitionist preacher Theodore Parker. During the early months of the Civil War, Lincoln’s law partner William Herndon gave the president a book of Parker’s sermons and speeches. It included a sermon titled “The Effect of Slavery on the American People,” which Parker delivered at the Music Hall in Boston, Massachusetts on July 4, 1858. In that sermon, Parker said: “Democracy is direct self-government over all the people, for all the people, by all the people.” According to Herndon, Lincoln marked those words in his copy before he wrote the Gettysburg Address. Parker had used a similar line in earlier sermons and speeches. For example, in a speech he gave in Boston on May 29, 1850, Parker defined democracy as “a government of all the people, by all the people, and for all the people.” However, the of/for/by the people formulation was not coined by Parker. Some older uses — and some later variations — are shown below.

DANIEL WEBSTER’S PRECURSOR: “It is, Sir, the people’s government, made for the people, made by the people, and answerable to the people. The people of the United States have declared that this Constitution shall be the supreme law.”        Daniel Webster (1782-1852)        American lawyer, politician, orator and statesman        Discussing the limitations of state’s rights and the supremacy of federal law in his “Second Speech on Foote’s Resolution” in the U.S. Senate, on January 26, 1830.

AN IRONIC VARIATION BY LINCOLN’S DEBATE FOE: “In my opinion this government of ours is founded on the white basis. It was made by the white man, for the benefit of the white man, to be administered by white men, in such a manner as they should determine.”        Stephen A. Douglas (1813-1861)        American Democratic politician; Congressman for Illinois from 1843 to 1847        A line used, ironically, in one of his famed debates with Lincoln, on July 9, 1858 in Chicago

OSCAR WILDE’S QUIP: “All modes of government are failures. Despotism is unjust to everybody...Oligarchies are unjust to the many, and ochlocracies are unjust to the few. High hopes were once formed of democracy; but democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.”        Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)        Irish writer, poet and wit        In his essay “The Soul of Man under Socialism,” first published in the Fortnightly Review, February 1891

CHRISTOPHER MORLEY’S VERSION: “America is still a government of the naive, for the naive, and by the naive. He who does not know this, nor relish it, has no inkling of the nature of his country.”        Christopher Morley (1890-1957)        American journalist, novelist, essayist and poet        In his book Inward Ho! (1923)

LORD BUCKLEY’S HIPSTER VERSION: “We here want it stuck up straight for all to dig that these departed studs shall not have split in vain; that this nation, under the great swingin’ Nazz, shall ring up a whopper of endless Mardi Gras, and that the Big Law of you straights, by you studs, and for you kitties, shall not be scratched from the big race.”        Lord Buckley (1906-1960)        American entertainer known for telling stories using the hipster slang of black jazz musicians and beatniks         The quote above is from Lord Buckley’s “hipster version” of the Gettysburg Address

BILL CLINTON’S GAFFE: “The last time I checked, the Constitution said ‘of the people, by the people and for the people.’  That’s what the Declaration of Independence says.”         Bill Clinton         Comment made in remarks attacking conservative Republicans for being unreasonably anti-government, after his Second Presidential Debate with Sen. Robert Dole in October 1996. The statement generated news and snickers in the following weeks because Clinton was astoundingly wrong about the source. It comes from the Gettysburg Address and does not appear in either the U.S. Constitution or Declaration of Independence. Time magazine listed this Clinton quote as one of the “most embarrassing historical gaffes” of 1996.

       

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