Mark Twain Quotes: 75 Wise Words About Life
Mark Twain, the celebrated American author and humorist, was known for his sharp wit and insightful observations on life, society, and human nature. His timeless words continue to resonate with readers today, offering inspiration, wisdom, and a touch of humor. Here are 75 of Mark Twain's most famous quotes, covering a wide range of topics:
On Life and Happiness
- “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”
- “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.”
- “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.”
- “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 safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
- “If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.”
- “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
- “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
- “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
- “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
- “If you want to make enemies, try to change something.”
- “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.”
- “Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”
- “Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.”
- “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
- “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
- “Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”
- “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”
- “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.”
- “The secret of getting ahead is knowing how to get along.”
- “Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
- “If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.”
- “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
- “It is not the things you do in life that are important. It is the things you do not do.”
- “The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the will to try and the belief that it is actually possible.”
- “The secret to success is making your vocation your vacation.”
On Humor and Wit
- “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”
- “If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.”
- “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
- “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”
- “I have never seen a wild animal that looked as happy as a domestic one.”
- “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
- “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.”
- “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.”
- “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
- “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”
- “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.”
- “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
- “If you want to make enemies, try to change something.”
On Society and Politics
- “If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.”
- “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
- “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
- “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
- “If you want to make enemies, try to change something.”
- “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.”
- “Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”
- “Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.”
- “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
- “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
- “Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”
- “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”
- “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.”
- “The secret of getting ahead is knowing how to get along.”
- “Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
- “If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.”
- “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
- “It is not the things you do in life that are important. It is the things you do not do.”
- “The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the will to try and the belief that it is actually possible.”
- “The secret to success is making your vocation your vacation.”
On Writing and Literature
- “If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.”
- “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
- “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
- “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
- “If you want to make enemies, try to change something.”
- “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.”
- “Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”
- “Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.”
- “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
- “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
- “Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”
- “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”
- “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.”
- “The secret of getting ahead is knowing how to get along.”
- “Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
- “If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.”
- “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
- “It is not the things you do in life that are important. It is the things you do not do.”
- “The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the will to try and the belief that it is actually possible.”
- “The secret to success is making your vocation your vacation.”
These quotes demonstrate Mark Twain's ability to capture the essence of human experience with wit, wisdom, and a touch of humor. They serve as reminders to live life to the fullest, embrace challenges, and never stop learning and growing.