Sep 26, 2021 2 min read

❄️ Freezethawed: The Newsletter #043 - Charlie Chaplin's life lessons?

Hello everyone!

Charlie Chaplin, the English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer left us four life statements:

Nothing is forever in this world, not even our problems.
I love walking in the rain because no one can see my tears.
The most lost day in life is the day we don't laugh.
Six best doctors in the world: the sun, rest, exercise, diet, self-respect and friends.

I am sure you've heard at least one of these statements somewhere. Did you also know that he probably never made any of these statements?

Let me explain.

A Facebook post that was shared around 2016 went "viral" and since it has been over two decades since Sir Charlie Chaplin's death, everyone who read it probably though it was true, probably, because it looks like something he could have said. Another post in 2020 on yes, you guessed it - Facebook, shares the same and it is well received as well.

Let's analyze.

“Nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even our troubles.”

This is a true statement. It is taken from Chaplin’s 1947 feature film, Monsieur Verdoux.

"I love walking in the rain because no one can see my tears."

This quote was initially credited to Chaplin’s 1964 book, 'My Autobiography.' However, a search for the phrase and key words in the digital version returned no matching results. Additionally, authorities confirmed that it doesn't belong to the book.

"The most lost day in life is the day we don't laugh."

This phrase is much older than Chaplin and dates back to 1795, when the literary magazine Mercure de Francereprinted a collection by French writer, Nicolas Chamfort. One of them reads: “La plus perdue de toutes les journées est celle où l’on n’a pas ri.” (The most lost of all days is the day we haven’t laughed).

"Six best doctors in the world: the sun, rest, exercise, diet, self-respect and friends."

This statement also has nothing to do with Chaplin. This statement was made by Apple founder and billioniare, the late Steve Jobs.

Rounding up.

I don't think these statements hold any less value just because they have been debunked and fact-checked. They are still truisms for life.

However, not all content on the internet is as harmless as Chaplin's life lessons and I would be doubly careful before trusting anything I read or see on the internet. So should you.

Until next time!

Anujeet.

Anujeet’s book journey

This week I finished:

Storyworthy - Matthew Dicks

Currently I am reading:

The Midnight Library - Matt Haig

Aggregate, the weekly quote

"Never tell me the odds.”

-Han Solo (Star Wars) used this as a reply to C-3PO telling Han the odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field, which, by the way, was very low.