Ivanka Trump lit up social media on Monday after tweeting a piece of wisdom she attributed as an ancient Chinese saying: “Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it.”
“Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it.” -Chinese Proverb
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) June 11, 2018
The widely shared tweet, which came ahead of the scheduled meeting between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday, was an apparent shade thrown at her father’s critics.
Netizens, however, pointed out that the quote, which purportedly came from China, did not originate from any known Chinese proverb based on sources found online.
Website Quote Investigator, which suggested it originated at the turn of the 20th century in the United States, pointed out variations of the quote coming from different sources, such as Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, American writer Elbert Hubbard, humor magazine “Puck”, and Saxby’s Magazine, among others.
“QI hypothesizes that the modern expression evolved from a comment about the rapidity of change and innovation at the turn of the century that was printed in multiple newspapers and journals in 1903. One instance appeared on March 7, 1903 in a periodical called ‘The Public’ based in Chicago, Illinois.”
Meanwhile, author John Blaydes attributed the quote directly to George Bernard Shaw via his book “The Educator’s Book of Quotes.”
On Twitter, many netizens mocked Trump for the allegedly misattributed quote.
“Anything sounds more important with quotation marks and a generic Chinese person saying it.” -Chinese Proverb https://t.co/R5oJVyJ63w
— Jenny Chinese Proverb Yang 👲🏼👲🏼👲🏼 (@jennyyangtv) June 12, 2018
“When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.” — another apt ‘Chinese proverb’ https://t.co/i6TP94QFtF
— HuffPost Asian Voices (@HPAsianVoices) June 11, 2018
Those who make knock-off designer shoes in Chinese sweat shops with child labor should not quote Chinese proverbs. https://t.co/vtHvQKS4YF
— Randi Mayem Singer (@rmayemsinger) June 11, 2018
That’s what Xi said. – Chinese Proverb https://t.co/RtfpRnXamj
— Dave Pell (@davepell) June 12, 2018
“This not even remotely an actual Chinese proverb.” – Chinese Proverb https://t.co/d7UiTYvrfS
— Angry Asian Man (@angryasianman) June 11, 2018
According to the New York Times, Ivanka Trump’s tweet also sparked a widespread discussion on Weibo among baffled Chinese netizens who suggested genuine Chinese sayings which might convey a similar meaning to it.
Many pointed towards a classic Chinese idiom: “A true gentleman should keep silent while watching a chess game.” Others, however, think this popular saying in China could be what Ivanka was referring to: “If you can do it, do it; if you can’t, shut up.”
或者說，你能行你上。
— Amelia Cheong (@AmyCheong123) June 12, 2018
Featured image via Instagram / ivankatrump
