Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Saying ·9 of 348
"A picture is worth a thousand words. — Confucius"
They never said that.
What people say
"A picture is worth a thousand words. — Confucius"
What was actually said
One look is worth a thousand words. — Fred R. Barnard, trade-paper advertisement (1921). Fred R. Barnard (ad copywriter) — Printers' Ink, December 1921
Why it stuck
Barnard invented the phrase, attributing it to a "Japanese philosopher" for credibility. A 1927 version upgraded "Japanese" to "Chinese" — and eventually the phrase migrated to Confucius.
No Confucian text contains this line.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.