Don Marquis, as quoted in Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Vol. 12, No. 2 (February 1958), p. 48; this has sometimes been attributed to Ellison, as well as to George Bernard Shaw.
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If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; but if you really make them think, they'll hate you.

— Don Marquis on Harlan Ellison

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; but if you really make them think, they'll hate you." in the context of "Don Marquis, as quoted in Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Vol. 12, No. 2 (February 1958), p. 48; this has sometimes been attributed to Ellison, as well as to George Bernard Shaw." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "Harlan Ellison" (Misattributed) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Don Marquis

About Don Marquis

Donald Robert Perry Marquis (29 July 1878 – 29 December 1937) was an American humorist, journalist, novelist, poet, cartoonist, newspaper columnist, and playwright most famous for creating the characters "Archy" the cockroach, and "Mehitabel" the cat.