Great American author – Mark Twain – is known as much for his literary works as his wit and humor.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens took the pen name of Mark Twain in remembrance of his days as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River. Pilots called out the words “mark twain” to indicate that the water level was a safe depth for a riverboat to pass.
Embracing his early years, he gave a voice to the language of the “common folk,” creating classic works such as
He inspires us to write in our own voice, and from personal experiences. The following is a collection of Mark Twain’s most “tweetable” quotes that give us a sense of the humor and wit of this American treasure.
Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
Don't let schooling interfere with your education.
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All generalizations are false, including this one.
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Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
The secret of getting ahead is getting started.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.
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It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.
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Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
There are lies, damned lies and statistics.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
Humor is mankind's greatest blessing.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
Grief can take care if itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.
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Laws control the lesser man... Right conduct controls the greater one.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
When in doubt tell the truth.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to.
Mark Twain [Tweet this]
Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary.
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