“Veni, vidi, vici”, said Cesar Chavez, after succeeding in the Battle of Zela. Wait, that doesn’t sound right, does it? With modern technology, you’re able to fact check me in a matter of seconds. If you do, you’ll discover that it was, in fact, Julius Caesar who wrote this quote. This ability to correct misattributions, to identify mistranslations and adjust for misquotes has created an era in which quotes have never been more accurate, precise or properly sourced.

Social Media

Yes, quotes were often passed between friends and family even prior to the internet. But, even a few decades ago, if someone had misattributed the quote that I did above, it would take a considerable amount of time to research and confirm that they had done so. What social media has done for quotes is allowing an audience with immediate fact-checking capabilities to call out their loved ones for the misuse of quotes.

A simple highlighting, right clicking and left clicking in Google Chrome allows you to correct your high school classmate’s status (“Et tu, Borat?”). Understandably worried, people are now more cautious about yelling out unsupported quotes.

Quote Sites

You don’t always have to hunt for quotable material yourself. Using websites such as QuotesPanel, you can now easily find, sort and share quotes that speak to you. To find a quote, simply type in an author, keyword (girlfriend, Winter) or category (love, weather). Then, you can sort quotes in as many ways as you can imagine.

You can “favorite” some quotes, rate other quotes, and comment on yet more quotes. Finally, once you’ve got that perfect quote, it’s time to go to your Facebook or Twitter. A few quick clicks, and you’ll have Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address up for all of your friends to view.

You no longer live in an age of uncertainty. When a dubious quote enters your presence, you can easily swat it away with the truth. When farfetched quotes are associated with respected people, you can find a more reputable source. When translation breaks down, you can mend with the art of research and context. Available at our fingertips are quote searching, checking and verifying machines. With this great power, comes the responsibility of correctly choosing the quotes for you, and it seems this generation is up to the task.