Mark Twain Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old Mark Twain quotes, Mark Twain sayings, and Mark Twain proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.'

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. Mark Twain
We recognize that there are no trivial occurrences in life if we get the right focus on them. Mark Twain
A country without a patent office and good patent laws is just a crab, and can't travel any way but sideways and backways. Mark Twain
Nature makes the locust with an appetite for crops; man would have made him with an appetite for sand. Mark Twain
Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in. Mark Twain
Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough. Mark Twain
Good citizenship would teach accuracy of thinking and accuracy of statement. Mark Twain
Every citizen of the republic ought to consider himself an unofficial policeman, and keep unsalaried watch and ward over the laws and their execution. Mark Twain
What keeps a republic on its legs is good citizenship. Mark Twain
A little citizenship ought to be taught at the mother's knee and in the nursery. Mark Twain
That's the difference between governments and individuals. Governments don't care, individuals do. Mark Twain
When a teacher calls a boy by his entire name it means trouble. Mark Twain
The trouble isn't that there are many fools, but that the lightning isn't distributed right. Mark Twain
The lightning there is peculiar; it is so convincing, that when it strikes a thing it doesn't leave enough of that thing behind for you to tell whether —Well, you'd think it was something valuable, and a Congressman had been there. Mark Twain
Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it. Mark Twain
In this hot weather, the only beverage in the ship that is passable is the butter. Mark Twain
It is best to read the weather forecast before we pray for rain. Mark Twain
There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable. Mark Twain
Is it the prohibition that makes anything precious? Mark Twain
What do I think of Prohibition? Nothing, for the simple reason that there is no such thing. When men want drink, they'll have it in spite of all the laws ever passed; when they don;t want it, no drink will be sold. Mark Twain
Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option. Mark Twain
The secret of getting ahead is getting started. Mark Twain
The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small, manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one. Mark Twain
Life would be definitely happier if we could only be born at the eighty and gradually approach eighteen. Mark Twain
I must have a prodigious quantity of mind; it takes me as much as a week, sometimes, to make it up. Mark Twain
Always obey your parents when they are present. Mark Twain
Repartee is something we think of twenty-four hours too late. Mark Twain
Money-lust has always existed, but not in the history of the world was it ever a craze, a madness, until your time and mine. Mark Twain
A dollar picked up in the road is more satisfaction to you than the ninety-and-nine which you had to work for, and money won at faro or in stock snuggles into your heart in the same way. Mark Twain
The dog is a gentleman. I hope to go to his heaven, not man's . Mark Twain