Mark Twain

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, humorist

Modern influential 212 sayings

Sayings by Mark Twain

I believe that the best way to get a man to do something is to tell him he can't do it.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in collections of quotes
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I was educated in the public schools of Missouri, which were not good enough to do me any harm.

1924 (posthumous) — Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. 1
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Adam was the only man who, when he said a good thing, knew that nobody had said it before him.

1894 — Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I am an atheist. I don't believe in God. I believe in a God who is not God.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in discussions of his religious views
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

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

1916 (posthumous) — The Mysterious Stranger
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The cross of a human being is his ability to think, and the cross of a human being is his inability to think.

1898 — Mark Twain's Notebook
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Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.

1916 (posthumous) — The Mysterious Stranger
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I am a person who has always been very much in favor of doing what is right, and I have always been very much against doing what is wrong.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in collections of quotes
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

It is a most extraordinary thing that the human race is so fond of being humbugged.

1869 — The Innocents Abroad
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I am not an optimist. I am a realist. I believe in the triumph of good over evil. But I don't believe in the triumph of good over evil without a fight.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in collections of quotes
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

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

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in collections of quotes
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I have a great many things to say, but I don't know how to say them.

1884 — Letter to William Dean Howells
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The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in collections of quotes
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I am an American, and I like to see a man do what he says he will do.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in collections of quotes
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

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

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in collections of quotes
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I have never been hurt by anything I didn't say.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in collections of quotes
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I am a person who has always been very much in favor of the truth, and I have always been very much against falsehood.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in collections of quotes
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

When in doubt, tell the truth.

1927 (posthumous collection) — More Maxims of Mark
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I have a temper, but I have learned to control it. My temper is like a dog that I have trained to lie down when I tell it to.

Unknown — Attributed, often cited in collections of quotes
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.

1888 — Letter to George Bainton
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable