Don't know where he got it, but my grandpaw (Native American bounty hunter from Louisiana, who worked Oklahoma and Texas back in the 20's and 30's) always told us kids:
"Believe nothing that you hear, and only half of what you see."
My mom always would say that, too! Meaning, people talk, believe none of what you hear, only half of what you see, cause your eyes will lie to you.
"if you want to double your money, fold it in half, and stick it back in your pocket"
On having to do something difficult, like breaking up with someone, she would tell me: "There was once a little boy, wanted to cut his dogs' tail off, but he didn't want to hurt his dog, so he'd just cut off a little everyday".
(Packerback, my mom said they couldn't wait for the country peddler to come around once a month. She would buy a pack of Dentyne gum for a nickel. When they run out of gum, or there was none left in their "spot" behind the door, they would chew on the pine resin off the pine trees. She was stringin tobacco at 3 yrs old, for 2 cents a day, in 1922.)