Wilson Mizner (1876–1933) was an American playwright, raconteur, and entrepreneur. His best-known plays are The Deep Purple, produced in 1910, and The Greyhound, produced in 1912. He was manager and co-owner of The Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, California, and was affiliated with his brother, Addison Mizner, in a series of scams and picaresque misadventures that inspired Stephen Sondheim’s musical Road Show.
Source: Wikipedia (via CC-BY-SA license) • READ: Works by Wilson Mizner
If you steal from one author, it’s plagiarism; if you steal from many, it’s research.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Plagiarism
A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while, he knows something.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Listening
Always be nice to people on the way up; because you’ll meet the same people on the way down.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Kindness
Popularity is exhausting. The life of the party almost always winds up in a corner with an overcoat over him.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Popularity
The only sure thing about luck is that it will change.
—Wilson Mizner
Some of the greatest love affairs I’ve known have involved one actor-unassisted.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Acting
I’ve spent several years in Hollywood, and I still think the movie heroes are in the audience.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Audiences
There’s nothing so comfortable as a small bankroll. A big one is always in danger.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Wealth
Don’t talk about yourself; it will be done when you leave.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Egotism, Humility, Ego
The gent who wakes up and finds himself a success hasn’t been asleep.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Success & Failure, Success
I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: One liners, Education, Doubt, Faith
A drama critic is a person who surprises the playwright by informing him what he meant.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Criticism, Critics
Gambling: The sure way of getting nothing from something.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Gambling, One liners
A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something.
—Wilson Mizner
I hate careless flattery, the kind that exhausts you in your effort to believe it.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Compliments
The worst tempered people I have ever met were those who knew that they were wrong.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Anger
I want a priest, a rabbi, and a Protestant clergyman. I want to hedge my bets.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Death
Life is a tough proposition and the first hundred years are the hardest.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Life and Living
The best way to keep your friends is not to give them away.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Friendship, Friends and Friendship
A fellow who is always declaring that he’s no fool, usually has his suspicions.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Fools, Foolishness
Be nice to people on your way up because you’ll meet them on your way down.
—Wilson Mizner
I can usually judge a fellow by what he laughs at.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Judgement, Laughter
In the battle of existence, Talent is the punch; Tact is the clever footwork
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Talent, Battle
Copy from one, it’s plagiarism; copy from two, it’s research.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Plagiarism
I’ve known countless people who were reservoirs of learning, yet never had a thought.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Thoughts, Thinking, Thought
The worst-tempered people I’ve ever met were people who knew they were wrong.
—Wilson Mizner
Topics: Anger, Temper, People
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