Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer. Among his novels are The Adventures of Tom Sawyerand its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the latter often called "The Great American Novel"...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth30 November 1835
CountryUnited States of America
fifty muscle power spirit strength
Spirit has fifty times the strength and staying-power of brawn and muscle
complaint complaints-and-complaining compliment courteous gentle ought precede resentment
I think a compliment ought to always precede a complaint, where one is possible, because it softens resentment and insures for the complaint a courteous and gentle reception.
awake refrain rule smoke
It has always been my rule never to smoke when asleep, and never to refrain when awake
best gets morals repair sundays week
It is not best that we use our morals week days; it gets them out of repair for Sundays
best horse opinion
It is not best that we all should think alike, it is differences of opinion that make horse races.
number remember
It isn't so astonishing the number of things that I can remember, as the number of things that I can remember that aren't so.
character history impossible preventing repeating worthwhile
It is not worthwhile to try to keep history from repeating itself, for man's character will always make the preventing of the repetitions impossible
complete failure judgment life likely lived secret
It is not likely that any complete life has ever been lived which was not a failure in the secret judgment of the person that lived it
best case judge lie man thinks
It is often the case that the man who can't tell a lie thinks he is the best judge of one
army army-and-navy born borrowed courage fight
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.
army army-and-navy born borrowed courage fight
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.
fortune freedom god three wisdom
It is by the fortune of God that, in this country, we have three benefits: freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and the wisdom never to use either.
appear mouth open remove shut stupid
It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.
deserve honors
It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not to deserve them.