"Question for Quote Investigator: Some health problems can be ameliorated via collaborative action such as installing a water treatment facility, controlling a mosquito population, or reducing the transmission of a contagious disease.

This notion can be expressed by using wordplay. When the letter “I” in “Illness” is replaced by “We”, the result is “Wellness”. Would you please explore the provenance of this witty remark which is sometimes attributed to prominent activist Malcolm X.

Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match located by QI appeared in a Baton Rouge, Louisiana newspaper in March 1984. The quotation was spoken during a speech to local residents by Charles Roppel, the head of the Mental Health Promotion Branch of the California Department of Mental Health. The address highlighted the value of establishing and maintaining multiple relationships of friendship and love. Roppel presented his theme adroitly and compactly as follows:1

He says, “Take the I out of illness, add W and E, and you have wellness.”

Is it literally true?

Of course, it is only wordplay:

• “Illness” minus “I” leaves “llness.”
• Adding “W” and “E” creates “wellness.”

So it is not a strict anagram, but a symbolic transformation. The meaning matters more than the exact letter mechanics.

My interpretation

The quote suggests that:

• Isolation can worsen suffering.
• Connection and cooperation promote healing.
• Wellness emerges through relationships and community.

That message is especially compelling in mental health, where social support is one of the strongest predictors of resilience.