Quote

Total abstinence is so excellent a thing that it cannot be carried to too great an extent. In my passion for it I even carry it so far as to totally abstain from total abstinence itself.

Mark Twain

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Mark Twain
Age: 74 †
Born: 1835
Born: November 30
Died: 1910
Died: April 21
Aphorist
Author
Autobiographer
Humorist
Journalist
Novelist
Opinion Journalist
Prosaist
Science Fiction Writer
Teacher
Florida
Missouri
Samuel Langhorne Clemens
Samuel L. Clemens
Samuel Clemens
Cannot
Abstinence
Great
Carried
Even
Extent
Thing
Excellent
Total
Totally
Carry
Abstaining
Passion
Abstain

More quotes by Mark Twain

Image
Progressive improvement beats delayed perfection.
Mark Twain
Image
I have learned that human existence is essentially tragic. It is only the love of God, disclosed and enacted in Christ, that redeems the human tragedy and makes it tolerable. No, more than tolerable. Wonderful.
Mark Twain
Image
What ought to be done to the man who invented the celebrating of anniversaries? Mere killing would be too light.
Mark Twain
Image
I have spent most of my time worrying about things that have never happened. Worrying is not an action! In fact, it is action that alleviates concern and dissipates worries. Take more actions when you feel that worry is creeping in to steal your time. It need not be a huge action, any action in the direction you want to go will do.
Mark Twain
Image
There is only one expert who is qualified to examine the souls and the life of a people and make a valuable report - the native novelist. ... And when a thousand able novels have been written, there you have the soul of the people and not anywhere else can these be had.
Mark Twain
Image
In early times some sufferer had to sit up with a toothache, and he put in the time inventing the German language.
Mark Twain
Image
Never waste a lie you never know when you may need it.
Mark Twain
Image
Until I came to New Mexico, I never realized how much beauty water adds to a river.
Mark Twain
Image
But it was ever thus, all through my life: whenever I have diverged from custom and principle and uttered a truth, the rule has been that the hearer hadn't strength of mind enough to believe it.
Mark Twain
Image
Humor is like a frog if you dissect it, it dies.
Mark Twain
Image
In forgiving, people are not being asked to forget. On the contrary, it is important to remember, so that we should not let such atrocities happen again. Forgiveness does not mean condoning what has been done. It means taking what happened seriously...drawing out the sting in the memory that threatens our entire existence.
Mark Twain
Image
The vast majority of the race whether savage or civilized, are secretly kind at heart and shrink from inflicting pain, but in the presence of the aggressive and pitiless minority they don't dare to assert themselves.
Mark Twain
Image
Tell me about a person's family, friends, and community, and I'll tell you what his opinions are.
Mark Twain
Image
Love is madness, if thwarted it develops fast.
Mark Twain
Image
I have tried getting up early, and I have tried getting up late-and the latter agrees with me best.
Mark Twain
Image
All saints can do miracles, but few of them can keep a hotel.
Mark Twain
Image
The test of any good fiction is that you should care something for the characters the good to succeed, the bad to fail. The trouble with most fiction is that you want them all to land in hell, together, as quickly as possible.
Mark Twain
Image
You may have noticed that the less I know about a subject the more confidence I have, and the more new light I throw on it.
Mark Twain
Image
To refuse awards is another way of accepting them with more noise than is normal.
Mark Twain
Image
In the South the war is what A.D. is elsewhere they date from it.
Mark Twain