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Mark Twain Quotes

Writer
Born On
1835-11-30
Died On
1910-04-21
Birth Place
Florida, Missouri, United States
Death Place
Redding, Connecticut, United States
Birth Sign
sagittarius
Father
John Marshall Clemens
Mother
Jane Lampton, Jane Lampton Clemens
Spouse
Olivia Langdon, Olivia Langdon ​
Nationality
American
While speaking of legends from the world of literature, this man's accomplishments definitely deserves a mention. Some of these man's works have left a lasting impression on the minds of many and have even inspired a few to embrace writing as a medium of expression. Like many other greats of the world, this writer too belonged to a humble economic background and faced a lot of adversities during his younger days. When he was barely eleven, this eminent personality lost his father to Pneumonia and had to even give up on his education to make ends meet. The young lad had to assist a printer to afford a meal following the demise of his parent. A few years later, this acclaimed writer revealed his creative side to the world, when several sketches of his were published in the "Hannibal Journal". The youngster kept himself busy with a few trysts as a printer, but couldn't continue his studies which ended abruptly. However, this man started educating himself by taking time off his busy schedules and confining himself to public libraries for a fixed duration, on a daily basis. In his own words, this kind of education enhanced the writer's personality a lot more compared to the way a school would prepare a ward for the difficult world. This writer's life took a dramatic turn after an article of his, which was published in the newspaper "Territorial Enterprise", received immense acclaim. Since then, there has been no looking back for this creative genius and most of his works such as "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" became milestones in English literature. Yes, you guessed that right, we are talking about none other than the renowned author Mark Twain.

All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.

Mark Twain

Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.

Mark Twain

A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read.

Mark Twain

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

Mark Twain

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

Mark Twain

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

Mark Twain

If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.

Mark Twain

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

Mark Twain

There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded.

Mark Twain

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.

Mark Twain

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

Mark Twain

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.

Mark Twain

Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.

Mark Twain

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.

Mark Twain

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.

Mark Twain

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.

Mark Twain

Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.

Mark Twain

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.

Mark Twain

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.

Mark Twain

Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.

Mark Twain

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.

Mark Twain

Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.

Mark Twain

Let us endeavor so to live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.

Mark Twain

Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.

Mark Twain

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.

Mark Twain

When you fish for love, bait with your heart, not your brain.

Mark Twain

I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.

Mark Twain

When your friends begin to flatter you on how young you look, it's a sure sign you're getting old.

Mark Twain

Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.

Mark Twain

Don't let schooling interfere with your education.

Mark Twain

Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get.

Mark Twain

Buy land, they're not making it anymore.

Mark Twain

The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.

Mark Twain

Drag your thoughts away from your troubles... by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it.

Mark Twain

A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.

Mark Twain

We have the best government that money can buy.

Mark Twain

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.

Mark Twain

Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.

Mark Twain

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.

Mark Twain

Humor is mankind's greatest blessing.

Mankind Humor
Mark Twain

Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.

Mark Twain

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.

Mark Twain

It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.

Mark Twain

Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.

Mark Twain

The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

Mark Twain

Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.

Mark Twain

In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards.

Mark Twain

Loyalty to the Nation all the time, loyalty to the Government when it deserves it.

Mark Twain

I can live for two months on a good compliment.

Mark Twain

I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don't go out with Halley's Comet. The Almighty has said, no doubt: 'Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.'

Mark Twain

All generalizations are false, including this one.

Mark Twain

There are lies, damned lies and statistics.

Mark Twain

The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.

Mark Twain

If you hold a cat by the tail you learn things you cannot learn any other way.

Mark Twain

Man was made at the end of the week's work, when God was tired.

Mark Twain

Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.

Mark Twain

The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not.

Mark Twain

It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.

Mark Twain

Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel.

Mark Twain

You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.

Mark Twain

Man will do many things to get himself loved, he will do all things to get himself envied.

Mark Twain

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.

Mark Twain

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter - 'tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning.

Mark Twain

My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.

Mark Twain

The finest clothing made is a person's own skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this.

Mark Twain

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

Mark Twain

It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.

Mark Twain

A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.

Mark Twain

Golf is a good walk spoiled.

Mark Twain

I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.

Mark Twain

The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.

Mark Twain

Optimist: day dreamer more elegantly spelled.

Mark Twain

It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.

Mark Twain

A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.

Mark Twain

When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.

Mark Twain

Honesty is the best policy - when there is money in it.

Mark Twain

It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.

Mark Twain

The secret source of humor is not joy but sorrow; there is no humor in Heaven.

Mark Twain

Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.

Mark Twain

There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist.

Mark Twain

Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.

Mark Twain

Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.

Mark Twain

Truth is the most valuable thing we have. Let us economize it.

Mark Twain

I never smoke to excess - that is, I smoke in moderation, only one cigar at a time.

Mark Twain

Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times.

Mark Twain

Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to.

Mark Twain

But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?

Mark Twain

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.

Mark Twain

The lack of money is the root of all evil.

Mark Twain

Principles have no real force except when one is well-fed.

Mark Twain

Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.

Mark Twain

Everything has its limit - iron ore cannot be educated into gold.

Mark Twain

Laws control the lesser man... Right conduct controls the greater one.

Mark Twain

When in doubt tell the truth.

Mark Twain

God made the Idiot for practice, and then He made the School Board.

Mark Twain

It is just like man's vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions.

Mark Twain

Lord save us all from old age and broken health and a hope tree that has lost the faculty of putting out blossoms.

Mark Twain

Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered - either by themselves or by others.

Mark Twain

The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice.

Mark Twain

Work is a necessary evil to be avoided.

Mark Twain