Mark Twain Quotes – Enjoy his Wit and Wisdom
Mark Twain is one of the most iconic figures of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a beloved author, a social critic, and a humorist whose witticisms and wisdom has been admired, quoted, and enjoyed by generations. His words have become part of American culture and he remains one of the most quoted authors of all time. Here are some of the most inspiring and humorous Mark Twain quotes that have stood the test of time.
Famous Motivational Quotes
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
“Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.”
“Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.”
Quotes About Life and Death
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
“Only one life, that soon is past. Only what’s done with love will last.”
“I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.”
“Death, the only immortal who treats us all alike, whose pity and whose peace and whose refuge are for all — the soiled and the pure, the rich and the poor, the loved and the unloved.”
“Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.”
“Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.”
Humorous Quotes
“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”
“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
“If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you’re mis-informed.”
“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
“If you want to find out who your real friends are, sink the ship. The first ones to jump aren’t your friends.”
Quotes About Education and Learning
“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”
“Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.”
“By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity – another man’s, I mean.”
“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare.”
“It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.”
“Education consists mainly in what we have unlearned.”
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
Quotes About Kindness, Friendship, and Compassion
“The lack of kindness is the greatest want of all.”
“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.”
“The best way to share positivity is by being kind to yourself.”
“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.”
“Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”
“We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.”
“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.”
Quotes About Writing
“It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”
“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”
“Writing is easy. All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.”
“A successful book is not made of what is in it, but what is left out of it.”
“Writing is a tremendous labor. But it is also a great joy.”
“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”
“A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.”
Mark Twain is one of America’s most beloved authors and thinkers whose words of wisdom, wit and humor continues to bring joy and inspiration to generations. His quotes have stood the test of time and remain some of the most quoted and admired of all time. Whether it’s stories about life and death, the importance of education and learning, the power of kindness, friendship, and compassion, or the art of writing, it’s always worth taking some time to enjoy Mark Twain’s wit and wisdom.