Mark Twain Quotes about Politics: Mark Twain, the iconic American author and humorist. Possessed with a remarkable ability to dissect and satirize various aspects of society, including politics. His witty and insightful observations on the political landscape have left an indelible mark on the world of literature. It continues to resonate with readers to this day.
Through his keen sense of humor and astute commentary, Twain unmasked the follies and hypocrisies that often accompany the exercise of power.
In his extensive body of work. Twain’s quotes about politics stand out as scathing critiques. Offering a window into the flaws and corruption that can permeate political systems. With razor-sharp wit, he exposed the absurdities and contradictions within political rhetoric. Challenging the prevailing notions of patriotism, governmental authority, and the nature of democracy.
From his musings on the dishonesty of politicians to his thoughts on the influence of power on individuals and institutions. Mark Twain’s political quotes provoke both laughter and contemplation. Through his words, he reminds us to question the motives of those in power. And to remain vigilant in safeguarding our individual freedoms and rights.
In this collection of Mark Twain quotes about politics. We delve into the wit, wisdom, and biting satire that makes his observations so memorable. Each quote offers a glimpse into Twain’s perspective. Inviting us to reexamine the political landscape and reflect on the timeless truths that lie beneath the surface.
Join us as we unravel the enduring relevance of Mark Twain’s astute commentary on politics. And explore humorous and poignant quotes that continue to resonate with audiences. Shedding light on the complex interplay between power, corruption, and the pursuit of a more just society.
Mark Twin was one of the most influential writers of America, Mark Twain is the author of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Twain was also a journalist, inventor and entrepreneur.
Mark Twain Quotes about Politics
“Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.”
“Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would rather have talked.”
“Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.”
“It is curious – Curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.”
“We are all alike, on the inside.”
“Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.”
“When a person can’t deceive himself the chances are against his being able to deceive other people.”
“Martyrdom covers a multitude of sins.”
“Be virtuous and you will be eccentric.”
“Truth is the most valuable thing we have. Let us economize it.”
“A full belly is little worth where the mind is starved.”
“Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.”
“A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.”
“Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.”
“Work is a necessary evil to be avoided.”
“There are several good protections against temptation, but the surest is cowardice.”
“Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their opinion.”
“Wrinkles should merely indicate where the smiles have been.”
Mark Twain Quotes about Politicians
“The more things are forbidden, the more popular they become.”
“Break the rules.”
“Drag your thoughts away from your troubles… by the ears, by the heels, by any other way you can manage it.”
“The lack of money is the root of all evils.”
“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.”
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
“I did not attend his funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.”
“Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other.”
“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.”
“Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.”
“With courage you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation that has integrity.”
Insightful Observations: Mark Twain’s Astute Commentary on Politics
“Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.”
“In politics, the truth is often less important than the power of perception.”
“It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native criminal class except Congress.”
“Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.”
“Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.”
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”
“There is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress.”
“In religion and politics, people’s beliefs and convictions are in almost every case obtained second-hand, and without examination.”
“Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”
“If voting made any difference, they wouldn’t let us do it.”
Wit and Wisdom: Unraveling Mark Twain’s Political Quotes
“It is easier to stay out than to get out.”
“In politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes with fire and sword.”
“Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. It must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.”
“Politicians and diapers should be changed frequently and all for the same reason.”
“In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made politicians.”
“It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.”
“Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”
“Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it.”
“The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet.”
“The government is merely a servant―merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.”
Navigating the Political Landscape: Mark Twain’s Timeless Quotes
“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
“The rule is perfect: In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane.”
“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”
“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”
“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”
“Truth is the most valuable thing we have. Let us economize it.”
“The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.”
“In the beginning of a change, the patriot was a scarce man, brave and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.”
Mark Twain’s Satirical Lens: Hilarious and Poignant Quotes on Politics
“In politics, absurdity is not a handicap.”
“Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.”
“Reader, suppose you were an elected official. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”
“Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.”
“Fleas can be taught nearly anything that a Congressman can.”
“I am not one of those who in expressing opinions confine themselves to facts.”
“It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native criminal class except Congress.”
“The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.”
“The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet.”
“It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.”
From Twain’s Pen: A Collection of Memorable Quotes on Politics
“When in doubt, tell the truth.”
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”
“It is easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled.”
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
“The only sure thing about luck is that it will change.”
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it.”
“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 difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”
Power and Corruption: Mark Twain’s Piercing Critique of Political Systems
“There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.”
“In religion and politics, people’s beliefs and convictions are in almost every case obtained second-hand, and without examination.”
“The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet.”
“It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native criminal class except Congress.”
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
“In politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes with fire and sword. Heresies in either can rarely be cured by persecution.”
“Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it.”
“The government is merely a servant—merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.”
“Politicians are like diapers; they need to be changed often, and for the same reason.”
“The political game is a vicious one, and the most vicious part about it is that no one seems to recognize it as a game.”
The Ironies of Democracy: Mark Twain’s Reflections on Politics and Society
“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”
“There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.”
“It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native criminal class except Congress.”
“Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”
“It is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”
“The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.”
“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”
“The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet.”
“In politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes with fire and sword. Heresies in either can rarely be cured by persecution.”
Social Injustice Unveiled: Mark Twain’s Political Quotes on Equality and Discrimination
“When we remember that we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.”
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”
“It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.”
“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.”
“Each man is afraid of his neighbor’s disapproval, a thing which, to the general run of the race, is more dreaded than wounds and death.”
“All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure.”
“Equality does not exist in nature, and therefore not in man. But just as there are tendencies to disease in the physical constitution, so there are tendencies to injustice in the moral constitution.”
“It is noble to be good; it is still nobler to teach others to be good—and less trouble.”
“There is no character, however good and fine, but it can be destroyed by ridicule, however poor and witless.”
“The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to the other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot.”
War and Diplomacy: Mark Twain’s Perspectives on International Relations
“The very ink with which all history is written is merely fluid prejudice.”
“The secret source of humor itself is not joy but sorrow. There is no humor in heaven.”
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
“The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop.”
“There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist.”
“The holy passion of friendship is so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money.”
“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”
“In the beginning of a change, the patriot was a scarce man, brave and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.”
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.”
Government and Liberty: Mark Twain’s Thoughts on Individual Freedom and State Control
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”
“In religion and politics, people’s beliefs and convictions are in almost every case obtained second-hand, and without examination.”
“Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it.”
“It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.”
“The rule is perfect: In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane.”
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
“The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet.”
“If voting made any difference, they wouldn’t let us do it.”
“The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.”
“The government is merely a servant—merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.”
Best Mark Twain Quotes about Politics
“Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident.”
“All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.”
“When all else fails, write what your heart tells you. You can’t depend upon your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.”
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.”
“Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.”
“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect). —Notebook, 1904
An honest man in politics shines more there than he would elsewhere. —A Tramp Abroad
I am very glad to sign the petition, but I am in terror lest I should be asked to do something, for I don’t do anything now, but rest after 73 years of activity. – quoted in Mark Twain in the Company of Women,
“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 bowliness. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail.”
Famous Mark Twain Quotes
“Man is the only animal that blushes – or needs to.”
“Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most.”
It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.
“It is wiser to find out than to suppose.”
“Everything has its limit – iron ore cannot be educated into gold.”
“What would men be without women? Scarce, sir…mighty scarce.”
Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and man.
Best of Twain Quotes
“I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”
“Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.”
“Honesty is the best policy – when there is money in it.”
“There is no sadder side than a young pessimist.”
“When in doubt, tell the truth.”
“A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”
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.
Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Of all the animals, man is the only one that is cruel. He is the only one that inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it.
“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
“If you don’t read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.”
Mark Twain’s quotes about politics offer us a profound glimpse into the complexities of power, corruption, and societal dynamics. With his sharp wit, insightful observations, and piercing critique.
Twain exposed the hypocrisies, ironies, and injustices that often lurk within political systems. His words continue to resonate, reminding us to question authority, challenge prevailing beliefs, and safeguard individual freedoms.
Through his timeless wisdom and satirical lens, Twain’s political quotes serve as a reminder that active engagement, critical thinking, and healthy skepticism are vital in navigating the ever-changing landscape of politics.
As we reflect on his words, we are encouraged to remain vigilant, seek truth, and strive for a more just and equitable society. Mark Twain’s enduring legacy as a keen observer of politics reminds us of the importance of holding those in power accountable and working towards a better future for all.
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