Mark Twain is one of the most quoted people on the internet and if you’re looking for the best Mark Twain quotes around then look no further.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer.
He is best known for his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), the latter often called “The Great American Novel”.
To this day, over a century since his death, Twain remains one of the greatest writers in history, consider by some as “the father of American literature”.
Being lauded as the “greatest humorist this country has produced”, a lot of famous Mark Twain quotes are known for their wit and humour but I’ve left out the funny quotes in this collection.
Mark Twain quotes are often full of timeless wisdom and here you’ll find his best words on life, travel and success to inspire you.
Best Mark Twain Quotes On Life, Travel & Success
1. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
2. “Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” – Mark Twain
3. “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain
4. “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” – Mark Twain
5. “There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded.” – Mark Twain
6. “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” – Mark Twain
7. “Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.” – Mark Twain
8. “Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” – Mark Twain
9. “Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.” – Mark Twain
10. “Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.” – Mark Twain
11. “All generalizations are false, including this one.” – Mark Twain
12. “Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.” – Mark Twain
13. “When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.” – Mark Twain
14. “Let us endeavor so to live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.” – Mark Twain
15. “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” – Mark Twain
16. “There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist.” – Mark Twain
17. “It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.” – Mark Twain
18. “Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.” – Mark Twain
19. “Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.” – Mark Twain
20. “Laws control the lesser man… Right conduct controls the greater one.” – Mark Twain
21. “Lack of money is the root of all evil.” – Mark Twain
22. “Drag your thoughts away from your troubles… by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it.” – Mark Twain
23. “Man will do many things to get himself loved, he will do all things to get himself envied.” – Mark Twain
24. “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” – Mark Twain
25. “Man is the only animal that blushes – or needs to.” – Mark Twain
26. “Let us not be too particular; it is better to have old secondhand diamonds than none at all.” – Mark Twain
27. “It is just like man’s vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions.” – Mark Twain
28. “The more things are forbidden, the more popular they become.” – Mark Twain
29. “What a wee little part of a person’s life are his acts and his words! His real life is led in his head, and is known to none but himself.” – Mark Twain
30. “Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do. Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.” – Mark Twain
31. “Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered – either by themselves or by others.” – Mark Twain
32. “‘Classic.’ A book which people praise and don’t read.” – Mark Twain
33. “It is easier to stay out than get out.” – Mark Twain
34. “Work is a necessary evil to be avoided.” – Mark Twain
35. “Don’t part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.” – Mark Twain
36. “When a person cannot deceive himself the chances are against his being able to deceive other people.” – Mark Twain
37. “Prosperity is the best protector of principle.” – Mark Twain
38. “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain
39. “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” – Mark Twain
40. “You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” – Mark Twain
41. “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.” – Mark Twain
42. “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” – Mark Twain
43. “The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.” – Mark Twain
44. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” – Mark Twain
45. “All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.” – Mark Twain
46. “A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read.” – Mark Twain
47. “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” – Mark Twain
48. “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.” – Mark Twain
49. “Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.” – Mark Twain
50. “A man is never more truthful than when he acknowledges himself a liar.” – Mark Twain
51. “Noise proves nothing. Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as if she laid an asteroid.” – Mark Twain
52. “When you fish for love, bait with your heart, not your brain.” – Mark Twain
53. “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” – Mark Twain
54. “The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” – Mark Twain
55. “Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.” – Mark Twain
56. “Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.” – Mark Twain
57. “When in doubt tell the truth.” – Mark Twain
58. “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.” – Mark Twain
59. “A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” – Mark Twain
60. “Necessity is the mother of taking chances.” – Mark Twain
61. “When people do not respect us we are sharply offended; yet in his private heart no man much respects himself.” – Mark Twain
62. “Truth is the most valuable thing we have. Let us economize it.” – Mark Twain
63. “To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.” – Mark Twain
64. “Be careless in your dress if you must, but keep a tidy soul.” – Mark Twain
65. “All emotion is involuntary when genuine.” – Mark Twain
66. “There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable. – Mark Twain
67. “A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.” – Mark Twain
68. “Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits.” – Mark Twain
69. “It were not best that we should all think alike; it is difference of opinion that makes horse races.” – Mark Twain
70. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain (This is one of my favourite Mark Twain quotes, what’s yours?)
71. “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.” – Mark Twain
72. “With courage you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity.” – Mark Twain
73. “Life is short, break the rules. Forgive quickly, kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that makes you smile.” – Mark Twain
74. “Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful of your life.” – Mark Twain
75. “Do something every day that you don’t want to do. This is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.” – Mark Twain
76. “I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can’t find anybody who can tell me what they want.” – Mark Twain
77. “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” – Mark Twain
78. “It is wiser to find out than suppose.” – Mark Twain
79. “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” – Mark Twain
80. “Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would rather have talked.” – Mark Twain
81. “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain
82. “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.” – Mark Twain
83. “Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.” – Mark Twain
84. “Life does not consist mainly, or even largely, of facts or happenings. It consist mainly of the storm of thoughts that is forever flowing through one’s head.” – Mark Twain
85. “A half-truth is the most cowardly of lies.” – Mark Twain
86. “The trouble is not in dying for a friend, but in finding a friend worth dying for.” – Mark Twain
87. “A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” – Mark Twain
88. “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
89. “A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining, but wants it back the minute it begins to rain.” – Mark Twain
90. “I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.” – Mark Twain
91. “If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you’re mis-informed.” – Mark Twain
92. “Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.” – Mark Twain
93. “Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is.” – Mark Twain
94. “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Mark Twain
95. “I always did hate for anyone to know what my plans or hopes or prospects were—for, if I kept people in ignorance in these matters, no one could be disappointed but myself, if they were not realized.” – Mark Twain
96. “The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.” – Mark Twain
97. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain
98. “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” – Mark Twain
99. “That desire which is in us all to better other people’s condition by having them think as we think.” – Mark Twain
100. “Dance like nobody’s watching; love like you’ve never been hurt. Sing like nobody’s listening; live like it’s heaven on earth.” – Mark Twain
101. “Put all your eggs in one basket — and watch that basket!” – Mark Twain
Did you find these quotes by Mark Twain inspiring?
What are your favourite Mark Twain quotes? Let me know in the comments and please share this post to help and inspire others.
