it could be the most misattributed quote in the history of the world.
It is actually a modern quote, but I have heard it attributed to the Torah, India, China, etc.
It dates back to the 1960s, when there were a number of very talented slogan makers, such as Ashleigh Brilliant, who condensed all knowledge to 17 words or less, pot-shots, – check out his website, ashleighbrilliant.com for more of his work. These were meant to be put on postcards, t-shirts, etc.
some of Brilliant’s best known slogans:
I MAY NOT BE TOTALLY PERFECT, BUT PARTS OF ME ARE EXCELLENT
APPRECIATE ME NOW, AND AVOID THE RUSH.
I FEEL MUCH BETTER, NOW THAT I’VE GIVEN UP HOPE
WE’VE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH TOGETHER — AND MOST OF IT WAS YOUR FAULT
THE TIME FOR ACTION IS PAST, NOW IT’S TIME FOR SENSELESS BICKERING
My favorite variant:
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, teach a man to be a fish and he’ll swim away.