There's a story that once the Indian independence leader Mahandas Gandhi was asked by a journalist,

Mr. Gandhi, what do you think of Western civilization to which he has surgically replied,

I think it would be a good idea.

It's a great little anecdote that seems to speak volumes about the nature of India's struggle

and Gandhi's own rye sense of humor.

But here's the thing, Gandhi probably never uttered those words.

This might be just another example of fake history.

There was no interview that was published during Gandhi's lifetime where this back and

forth took place.

The interviewer who asked this question has never been properly identified.

The first time this exchange was ever mentioned was in a television documentary about Italy

that was first aired in 1968.

Before that point, the quote seems to have no source.

Miss attributed quotes are one of the most common and often innocuous forms of fake history.

It's not uncommon to see a pithy little statement get picked up and attributed to someone

like Mark Twain, Benjamin Franklin, Winston Churchill or some other character who was known

to have a quick wit.

However, I think there's a reason that this particular little quip has gotten so much

mileage.

It seems to speak a truth about one of the most loaded words in the English language.

Civilization.

What makes one group of people civilized in another group unscivilized?

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