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Who is Alexandra K. Trenfor? Did she say the quote?

2

There is a well-known quote flying around the internet attributed to a person named Alexandra K. Trenfor:

“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don't tell you what to see.” - Alexandra K. Trenfor

But who is this person? When trying to verify that this quote is indeed hers, I find several sites, motivational images etc. referencing her as the author - but I find myself unable to find any information about her. That name never appears anywhere.

During the search I came across several other sites with similar confusion about who this person is. One site turned the mystery into a larger search by its members that has been going on since 2012; they still haven't found any clue as to who she is.

I am now asking if anyone on the Stack Exchange forum network knows about this person (who appears to be not as famous as initially assumed). Do anyone know the origin of this quote and who this person is - did she really say this?

quotes famous-people

share|improve this question

asked 7 hours ago

SteevenSteeven

1607

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Why are you assuming that this person is famous? This could be from a blog or forum post of a comparative nobody or just a made-up pen name.
  
  – Steve Bird
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Inspirational quotes are so frequently mis-attributed I don't bother even looking at the name.
  
  – KillingTime
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Worth reading this article in Forbes magazine.
  
  – sempaiscuba♦
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

2

There is a well-known quote flying around the internet attributed to a person named Alexandra K. Trenfor:

“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don't tell you what to see.” - Alexandra K. Trenfor

But who is this person? When trying to verify that this quote is indeed hers, I find several sites, motivational images etc. referencing her as the author - but I find myself unable to find any information about her. That name never appears anywhere.

During the search I came across several other sites with similar confusion about who this person is. One site turned the mystery into a larger search by its members that has been going on since 2012; they still haven't found any clue as to who she is.

I am now asking if anyone on the Stack Exchange forum network knows about this person (who appears to be not as famous as initially assumed). Do anyone know the origin of this quote and who this person is - did she really say this?

quotes famous-people

share|improve this question

asked 7 hours ago

SteevenSteeven

1607

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Why are you assuming that this person is famous? This could be from a blog or forum post of a comparative nobody or just a made-up pen name.
  
  – Steve Bird
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Inspirational quotes are so frequently mis-attributed I don't bother even looking at the name.
  
  – KillingTime
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Worth reading this article in Forbes magazine.
  
  – sempaiscuba♦
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

There is a well-known quote flying around the internet attributed to a person named Alexandra K. Trenfor:

“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don't tell you what to see.” - Alexandra K. Trenfor

But who is this person? When trying to verify that this quote is indeed hers, I find several sites, motivational images etc. referencing her as the author - but I find myself unable to find any information about her. That name never appears anywhere.

During the search I came across several other sites with similar confusion about who this person is. One site turned the mystery into a larger search by its members that has been going on since 2012; they still haven't found any clue as to who she is.

I am now asking if anyone on the Stack Exchange forum network knows about this person (who appears to be not as famous as initially assumed). Do anyone know the origin of this quote and who this person is - did she really say this?

quotes famous-people

share|improve this question

asked 7 hours ago

SteevenSteeven

1607

share|improve this question

asked 7 hours ago

SteevenSteeven

1607

share|improve this question

asked 7 hours ago

SteevenSteeven

1607

asked 7 hours ago

SteevenSteeven

1607

asked 7 hours ago

SteevenSteeven

1607

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

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4

It's apparently a mystery. Cursory googling using the date tools suggests that the quote attributed to her began to appear out of nowhere in Facebook's early days, and it has been a mystery ever since. See e.g.:

https://adamnathan.com/2012/11/18/alexandra-k-trenfor-john-galt/ (which you've noted too)

http://rogerneill.blogspot.com/2012/12/#4225229763618250907

There's even a journalist who tried very hard to locate her in 2014:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2014/03/10/one-way-to-make-yourself-much-smarter-right-now/

Google Ngram further suggests it's a pure internet thing, in that it fails to find any trace of Trenfor in books until 2000.

Someone with a bit more time might be able to track down the quote's very first appearance on the internet, and ask that post's author directly. It appeared after Google was a thing: the only references prior to 2008-ish appear to be webpages that send wrong last modified date information.

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

Denis de BernardyDenis de Bernardy

14.5k24755

add a comment | 

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4

It's apparently a mystery. Cursory googling using the date tools suggests that the quote attributed to her began to appear out of nowhere in Facebook's early days, and it has been a mystery ever since. See e.g.:

https://adamnathan.com/2012/11/18/alexandra-k-trenfor-john-galt/ (which you've noted too)

http://rogerneill.blogspot.com/2012/12/#4225229763618250907

There's even a journalist who tried very hard to locate her in 2014:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2014/03/10/one-way-to-make-yourself-much-smarter-right-now/

Google Ngram further suggests it's a pure internet thing, in that it fails to find any trace of Trenfor in books until 2000.

Someone with a bit more time might be able to track down the quote's very first appearance on the internet, and ask that post's author directly. It appeared after Google was a thing: the only references prior to 2008-ish appear to be webpages that send wrong last modified date information.

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

Denis de BernardyDenis de Bernardy

14.5k24755

add a comment | 

4

It's apparently a mystery. Cursory googling using the date tools suggests that the quote attributed to her began to appear out of nowhere in Facebook's early days, and it has been a mystery ever since. See e.g.:

https://adamnathan.com/2012/11/18/alexandra-k-trenfor-john-galt/ (which you've noted too)

http://rogerneill.blogspot.com/2012/12/#4225229763618250907

There's even a journalist who tried very hard to locate her in 2014:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2014/03/10/one-way-to-make-yourself-much-smarter-right-now/

Google Ngram further suggests it's a pure internet thing, in that it fails to find any trace of Trenfor in books until 2000.

Someone with a bit more time might be able to track down the quote's very first appearance on the internet, and ask that post's author directly. It appeared after Google was a thing: the only references prior to 2008-ish appear to be webpages that send wrong last modified date information.

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

Denis de BernardyDenis de Bernardy

14.5k24755

add a comment | 

It's apparently a mystery. Cursory googling using the date tools suggests that the quote attributed to her began to appear out of nowhere in Facebook's early days, and it has been a mystery ever since. See e.g.:

https://adamnathan.com/2012/11/18/alexandra-k-trenfor-john-galt/ (which you've noted too)

http://rogerneill.blogspot.com/2012/12/#4225229763618250907

There's even a journalist who tried very hard to locate her in 2014:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2014/03/10/one-way-to-make-yourself-much-smarter-right-now/

Google Ngram further suggests it's a pure internet thing, in that it fails to find any trace of Trenfor in books until 2000.

Someone with a bit more time might be able to track down the quote's very first appearance on the internet, and ask that post's author directly. It appeared after Google was a thing: the only references prior to 2008-ish appear to be webpages that send wrong last modified date information.

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

Denis de BernardyDenis de Bernardy

14.5k24755

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

Denis de BernardyDenis de Bernardy

14.5k24755

answered 6 hours ago

Denis de BernardyDenis de Bernardy

14.5k24755

answered 6 hours ago

Denis de BernardyDenis de Bernardy

14.5k24755