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About Mark Twain

Portrait of Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He has been praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced", with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature". Twain's novels include...

More quotations from Mark Twain

Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable.

facts statistics persuasion

There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact.

The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot.

humanity wrong right

We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess.

talent recognition

Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.

profanity prayer language

More quotations tagged with “action”

We think in generalities, but we live in detail.

—Alfred North Whitehead

action life ideas thought

It is easy to sit up and take notice, What is difficult is getting up and taking action.

—Honoré de Balzac

attention action notice

Only do what your heart tells you.

—Princess Diana

feeling action emotions heart

Life is always uncertain. We cannot let the fear of what might happen stop us living as we choose.

—Susanna Kearsley in The Rose Garden

action life fear knowledge certainty

If you spend too much time dreaming, you’ll stop actually doing. And when you actually do stuff, there’s a good chance things will work out. We make things happen by attacking, not by sitting around dreaming.

—Miranda Kenneally in Catching Jordan

action dreaming

History

9 Feb 2014 Added