--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Serious misfortunes, originating in…" description: "\"Serious misfortunes, originating in misrepresentation, frequently flow and spread before they can be dissipated by truth.\" — George Washington" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16e/george-washington-257_flow_serious-misfortunes-originating-in-misre_414286.jpg" --- # Serious misfortunes, originating in misrepresentation… ![“Serious misfortunes, originating in misrepresentation, frequently flow and spread before they can be dissipated by truth.” quote by George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16e/george-washington-257_flow_serious-misfortunes-originating-in-misre_414286.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16e/george-washington-257_flow_serious-misfortunes-originating-in-misre_414286.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16e/george-washington-257_flow_serious-misfortunes-originating-in-misre_414286.jpg) > “Serious misfortunes, originating in misrepresentation, frequently flow and spread before they can be dissipated by truth.” [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Misrepresentation spreads quickly, outpacing truth's ability to correct it. **In simple terms:** Falsehoods travel faster than truth. Key Takeaway Prioritize verifying information before sharing. Themes truth misinformation communication ethics history Mood cautious inquisitive Type educational reflective When to use this quote - news media - social media - political discourse Key Concepts propagation verification impact Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to verify a claim? - How does misinformation affect public trust? A Different Perspective Truth may be suppressed by powerful narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Flow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flow/) [Misfortunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misfortunes/) [Misrepresentation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misrepresentation/) [Rumor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rumor/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Even the absurdest report may in nearly every instance be traced to an actual occurrence; and had there been no such actual occurrence, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/even-the-absurdest-report-may-in-nearly-every-instance-be-traced-to/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [One of the expedients of party to acquire influence, within particular districts, is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts. You cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/one-of-the-expedients-of-party-to-acquire-influence-within-particular-2/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Hillary Clinton spent hundreds of millions of dollars on negative ads on me, many of which are absolutely untrue. They're untrue. And they're misrepresentations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/hillary-clinton-spent-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-on-negative-ads/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“You know what America is-they're all like spoiled children. Anything goes, isn't that what they say?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soheir-khashoggi/you-know-what-america-is-they-re-all-like-spoiled-children-anything/) [Soheir Khashoggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soheir-khashoggi/) > [It is certain that the study of human psychology, if it were undertaken exclusively in prisons, would also lead to misrepresentation and absurd generalizations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-yves-cousteau/it-is-certain-that-the-study-of-human-psychology-if-it-were/) [Jacques Yves Cousteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-yves-cousteau/) > [For a privileged minority, Western democracy provides the leisure, the facilities, and the training to seek the truth lying hidden behind the veil of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/for-a-privileged-minority-western-democracy-provides-the-leisure-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It's funny, for a long time I would go watermelon-red and deny that I was a magical realist. It felt imprecise to me, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-russell/it-s-funny-for-a-long-time-i-would-go-watermelon-red-and-deny-that-i/) [Karen Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-russell/) > [Great is the power of steady misrepresentation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/great-is-the-power-of-steady-misrepresentation/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [To generate any appreciable degree of long-term affluence requires scrupulous honesty and the willingness to honor long-term agreements with employers, suppliers, partners, and especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheaffer/to-generate-any-appreciable-degree-of-long-term-affluence-requires/) [Robert Sheaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheaffer/) > [Great is the power of steady misrepresentation; but the history of science shows that fortunately this power does not long endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/great-is-the-power-of-steady-misrepresentation-but-the-history-of/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [Barack Obama thinks he's universally loved and adored because of that approval rating, which is a lie or a misrepresentation. It's mainly people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/barack-obama-thinks-he-s-universally-loved-and-adored-because-of-that/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [There needs to be structures in place to do something about misrepresentation about hip hop. When awards are given out and the media talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/there-needs-to-be-structures-in-place-to-do-something-about/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [Photographers find themselves directly in competition with mass media's misrepresentations of women. So the photographic terrain is particularly contested from a political point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-r-lippard/photographers-find-themselves-directly-in-competition-with-mass-media/) [Lucy R. Lippard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-r-lippard/) > [The public should begin to understand that there's nothing that comes out of this campaign, or this Obama White House, that they can believe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sununu/the-public-should-begin-to-understand-that-there-s-nothing-that-comes/) [John Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sununu/) > [All poetry is misrepresentation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/all-poetry-is-misrepresentation/) [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) ## More by George Washington > [It is absolutely necessary... for me to have persons that can think for me, as well as execute orders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-is-absolutely-necessary-for-me-to-have-persons-that-can-think-for/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-whole-duty-of-man-is-summed-up-in-obedience-to-god-s-will/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-turning-points-of-lives-are-not-the-great-moments-the-real-crises/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-propitious-smiles-of-heaven-can-never-be-expected-on-a-nation/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Interwoven as is the love of liberty with every ligament of your hearts, no recommendation of mine is necessary to fortify or confirm the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/interwoven-as-is-the-love-of-liberty-with-every-ligament-of-your/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/in-vain-would-that-man-claim-the-tribute-of-patriotism-who-should/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The blessed Religion revealed in the word of God will remain an eternal and awful monument to prove that the best Institution may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-blessed-religion-revealed-in-the-word-of-god-will-remain-an/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [While we are contending for our own liberty, we should be very cautious not to violate the conscience of others, ever considering that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/while-we-are-contending-for-our-own-liberty-we-should-be-very/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Among many other weighty objections to the Measure, it has been suggested, that it has a tendency to introduce religious disputes into the Army,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/among-many-other-weighty-objections-to-the-measure-it-has-been/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Democratical States must always feel before they can see: it is this that makes their Governments slow, but the people will be right at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/democratical-states-must-always-feel-before-they-can-see-it-is-this/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/if-in-the-opinion-of-the-people-the-distribution-or-modification-of/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [A man's intentions should be allowed in some respects to plead for his actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/a-man-s-intentions-should-be-allowed-in-some-respects-to-plead-for/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible. Do not ever let anyone claim to be a true American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-is-impossible-to-rightly-govern-the-world-without-god-and-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [My first wish is to see this plague of mankind banished from the earth, and the sons and daughters of this world employed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/my-first-wish-is-to-see-this-plague-of-mankind-banished-from-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Lenity will operate with greater force, in some instances, than rigor. It is, therefore, my first wish, to have my whole conduct distinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/lenity-will-operate-with-greater-force-in-some-instances-than-rigor/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) [Explore all 801 George Washington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) ## More Flow quotes > [Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/humanitarian-goods-and-people-must-flow-in-both-directions-gaza/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) > [Memory is funny. Once you hit a vein the problem is not how to remember but how to control the flow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-wolff/memory-is-funny-once-you-hit-a-vein-the-problem-is-not-how-to/) [Tobias Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-wolff/) > [Behind every word flows energy. If you use your words to gossip or babble about what you are going to do before you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/behind-every-word-flows-energy-if-you-use-your-words-to-gossip-or/) [Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/) > [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [I take the seashell from my jeans pocket and rub my fingers across its silken, indented surface, shallow as my own open hand. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-kenison/i-take-the-seashell-from-my-jeans-pocket-and-rub-my-fingers-across/) [Katrina Kenison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-kenison/) > [Like the water of a deep stream, love is always too much. We did not make it. Though we drink till we burst, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/like-the-water-of-a-deep-stream-love-is-always-too-much-we-did-not/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Forgetting your Self is the greatest injury; all the calamities flow from it. Take care of the most important, the lesser will take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/forgetting-your-self-is-the-greatest-injury-all-the-calamities-flow/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [“When we strike a balance between the challenge of an activity and our skill at performing it, when the rhythm of the work itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-gore/when-we-strike-a-balance-between-the-challenge-of-an-activity-and-our/) [Ariel Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-gore/) > [When we fall utterly, something gathers us up. But our falling must be without reservation, without expectation, without hope, though not hopeless. You cant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-housden/when-we-fall-utterly-something-gathers-us-up-but-our-falling-must-be/) [Roger Housden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-housden/) > [I have this belief about things happening organically. I believe life has this organic flow in a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoko-mori/i-have-this-belief-about-things-happening-organically-i-believe-life/) Naoko Mori > [Sometimes by a woodland stream he watched the water rush over the pebbled bed, its tiny modulations of bounce and flow. A woman's body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/sometimes-by-a-woodland-stream-he-watched-the-water-rush-over-the/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [David Rockefeller is the most conspicuous representative today of the ruling class, a multinational fraternity of men who shape the global economy and manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/david-rockefeller-is-the-most-conspicuous-representative-today-of-the/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [The tides which flow and lapse in the Bristol Channel are often distained by the freshets of many streams falling through wooded coombes below…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-williamson/the-tides-which-flow-and-lapse-in-the-bristol-channel-are-often/) [Henry Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-williamson/) > [“Life is a flow which we can either resist or go with it gracefully.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tonmoy-acharjee/life-is-a-flow-which-we-can-either-resist-or-go-with-it-gracefully/) Tonmoy Acharjee > [What a strange power the perception of beauty is! It seems to ebb and flow like some secret tide, independent alike of health and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-benson/what-a-strange-power-the-perception-of-beauty-is-it-seems-to-ebb-and/) [A. C. Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-benson/) [Browse all 3,282 Flow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flow/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Serious misfortunes, originating in misrepresentation, frequently flow and spread before they can be dissipated by truth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Washington" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/serious-misfortunes-originating-in-misrepresentation-frequently-flow/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Flow" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/serious-misfortunes-originating-in-misrepresentation-frequently-flow/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16e/george-washington-257_flow_serious-misfortunes-originating-in-misre_414286.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16e/george-washington-257_flow_serious-misfortunes-originating-in-misre_414286.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16e/george-washington-257_flow_serious-misfortunes-originating-in-misre_414286.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Serious misfortunes, originating in misrepresentation, frequently flow and spread before they can be…” — George Washington", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "George Washington", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Serious misfortunes, originating in misrepresentation, frequently...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/serious-misfortunes-originating-in-misrepresentation-frequently-flow/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/serious-misfortunes-originating-in-misrepresentation-frequently-flow/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```