The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain

I’ve always been a huge fan of Mark Twain and his writing. I can’t help but think he was a man ahead of his time, defying social norms left and right and reshaping American literature and culture in the process. I’ve read a good amount of his quotes, but I never had the privilege of stumbling upon this compilation by Alex Ayres (that’s a cool last name) until now. I wasn’t sure how to blog on this reading since it’s the entire book and so many different themes are touched on by Twain, so I really just picked a few quotes that I thought portrayed human nature well. I admire Twain’s ability to analyze different aspects of society and draw from them the thought provoking insight that he does. Here are some of the quotes I enjoyed:

·         “A Banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining and wants it back the minute it begins to rain.” – Attributed

·         “Prosperity is the best protector of principle.” –Following the Equator, 1897, vol. 2, ch. 2

·         “When people do not respect us we are sharply offended; yet in his private heart no man much respects himself.” – Following the Equator, 1897, vol. 1, ch. 29

All three of these quotes stood out to me for the same reason; they painted an interesting picture of the average human. Most of us are selfish, self-seeking, sad individuals. I don’t mean all the time, so don’t disagree with me or stop reading just yet. I mean we, as a race, all generally possess these characteristics, undeniably at times.

            I feel like I need to clarify; I’m not a pessimist. I’m not down on life, and I’m absolutely not pointing any fingers. I’m just trying to articulate a worldview that I believe Mark Twain had and strongly inspired his work. The first quote that I highlighted, about the banker, portrays mankind’s habit of self-preservation. When it comes down to it, we, as individuals, now and in the past, do, and have done, what it takes to improve our lives. It’s not that the banker was unfair; he just did what he would benefit from the most, without any regard for the debtor. It’s not wrong, just human nature. He lends when he benefits from it and calls in the debt when he doesn’t. Twain is singling out bankers, but the same behavior is true of many people. The second quote illustrates the same idea. It is easy to be a principled, upright individual when everything is going well, but once things are not going well, humanity seems to ditch its principles and do whatever it takes to preserve its own, individual well-being.

            Lastly, we all enjoy when others respect us, and we often do whatever it takes to maintain a good standing in the eyes of others. However, how often do we eventually inspect ourselves and see all the things that need fixing or are inadequate. Few people are truly happy with themselves. Without a doubt, I know I am always regretting my actions or focusing on how to improve myself. Twain saw this behavior in those around him, and most likely himself, and was able to articulate it in his writing. It’s because of this ability and insight that I, and many others, regard Twain not only as an incredible writer but also as a notable philosopher.

            Yes, he has a grim outlook. Yes, it seems pessimistic, but I have a feeling he would just say he is a realist. I don’t think he was looking for these tendencies in others; he only observed mankind and noted these characteristics afterwards. To put it plainly, Mark Twain was brilliant; he wasn’t blowing smoke. To quote him: “The man who is a pessimist before 48 knows too much; if he is an optimist after it, he knows too little.” He wrote this maxim on his 48^th birthday. He writes from experience and observation and had what I believe to be a level headed, although somewhat cold, view of humankind.