Recommended Reading
- ‘Mark Twain: A Life‘ by Ron Powers
- ‘Mark Twain: The Complete Novels‘ by Mark Twain
- ‘On the Decay of the Art of Lying‘ by Mark Twain
- ‘The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain: A Book of Quotations‘ by Mark Twain
- ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn‘ by Mark Twain
Inspirational Quotes by Mark Twain (American Humorist)
Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered—either by themselves or by others.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Genius, Confidence
Adam was but human — this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple’s sake, he wanted it only because it was forbidden. The mistake was in not forbidding the serpent; then he would have eaten the serpent.
—Mark Twain
Civilization is a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Civilization
Familiarity breeds contempt. How accurate that is. The reason we hold truth in such respect is because we have so little opportunity to get familiar with it.
—Mark Twain
How little a thing can make us happy when we fell that we have earned it.
—Mark Twain
That’s what an army is—a mob; they don’t fight with courage that’s born in them, but with courage that’s borrowed from their mass, and from their officers.
—Mark Twain
Topics: The Military, Army, Navy
Human pride is not worthwhile; there is always something lying in wait to take the wind out of it.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Pride
Wit and Humor—if any difference, it is in duration—lightning and electric light. Same material, apparently; but one is vivid, and can do damage—the other fools along and enjoys elaboration.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Humor, Wit
Any so-called material thing that you want is merely a symbol: you want it not for itself, but because it will content your spirit for the moment.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Consumerism
October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Vision, Economics, Money, Prophecy, Difficulty
Age is a question of mind over matter.
If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter!
Growing old is inevitable. Growing up is optional.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Age
It is human to exaggerate the merits of the dead.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Exaggeration
There was never a century nor a country that was short of experts who knew the Deity’s mind and were willing to reveal it.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Religion
I’ve seen many troubles in my time, only half of which ever came true
—Mark Twain
Topics: Worry
We had the sky up there, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss whether they was made or just happened.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Religion
Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Age, Smiles, Smiling, Smile
In all the ages, three-fourths of the support of the great charities has been conscience money.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Conscience
Whoever has lived long enough to find out what life is, knows how deep a debt of gratitude we owe to Adam, the first great benefactor of our race. He brought death into the world.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Death, Dying
Prosperity is the best protector of principle.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Principles
Education consists mainly in what we have unlearned.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Education
I do not like work even when someone else does it.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Work
It is better to give than receive- especially advice.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Giving, One liners
True irreverence is disrespect for another man’s god.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Respect
A joke, even if it be a lame one, is nowhere so keenly relished or quickly applauded as in a murder trial.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Trials, Jokes, Justice
You can’t pray a lie.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Prayer, Lies
Temper is what gets most of us into trouble. Pride is what keeps us there.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Trouble
The true charm of pedestrianism does not lie in the walking, or in the scenery, but in the talking. The walking is good to time the movement of the tongue by, and to keep the blood and the brain stirred up and active; the scenery and the woodsy smells are good to bear in upon a man an unconscious and unobtrusive charm and solace to eye and soul and sense; but the supreme pleasure comes from the talk.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Walking
Laughter is the greatest weapon that we humans possess and it’s the one we use the least.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Laughter
God’s great cosmic joke on the human race was requiring that men and women live together in marriage
—Mark Twain
Topics: Marriage
A human being has a natural desire to have more of a good thing than he needs.
—Mark Twain
Topics: Desire
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) American Humorist
Bill Bryson American Humorist
Garrison Keillor American Broadcaster, Writer
Leo Rosten American Humorist
Andy Rooney American Writer
Thomas Masson American Journalist
S. J. Perelman American Humorist
Robert Quillen American Journalist
Sam Levenson American Humorist
Charles Farrar Browne (Artemus Ward) American Humorist