Mark Twain Quotes about Character

A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.

A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.

Inspirational, Leadership, Character

Mark Twain (2014). “Mark Twain on Common Sense: Timeless Advice and Words of Wisdom from America's Most-Revered Humorist”, p.50, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

To arrive at a just estimate of a renowned man's character one must judge it by the standards of his time, not ours.

Mark Twain

Memories, Character, Men

Mark Twain (2016). “Joan of Arc”, p.15, Ignatius Press

Praise is well, compliment is well, but affection-that is the last and most precious reward that any man can win, whether by character or achievement.

Mark Twain

Love, Character, Pride

Mark Twain (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Mark Twain (Illustrated)”, p.7193, Delphi Classics

There is no character, howsoever good and fine, but it can be destroyed by ridicule, howsoever poor and witless. Observe the ass, for instance: his character is about perfect, he is the choicest spirit among all the humbler animals, yet see what ridicule has brought him to. Instead of feeling complimented when we are called an ass, we are left in doubt.

Mark Twain

Character, Animal, Perfect

Pudd'nhead Wilson "A Whisper to the Reader," "Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar" (1894)

What God lacks is convictions- stability of character. He ought to be a Presbyterian or a Catholic or something- not try to be everything.

Mark Twain

God, Atheist, Character

Mark Twain (2012). “Mark Twain at Your Fingertips: A Book of Quotations”, p.69, Courier Corporation

there was no crime in unconscious plagiarism; that I committed it everyday, that he committed it everyday, that every man alive on earth who writes or speaks commits it every day and not merely once or twice but every time he open his mouth… there is nothing of our own in it except some slight change born of our temperament, character, environment, teachings and associations

Mark Twain

Teaching, Writing, Character

It is not worth while to try to keep history from repeating itself, for man's character will always make the preventing of the repetitions impossible.

Mark Twain

Character, Men, Trying

Mark Twain (2016). “Mark Twain in Eruption (Abridged, Annotated)”, p.48, BIG BYTE BOOKS

One must keep one's character. Earn a character first if you can, and if you can't, then assume one. From the code of morals I have been following and revising and revising for 72 years I remember one detail. All my life I have been honest - comparatively honest. I could never use money I had not made honestly - I could only lend it.

Mark Twain

Character, Years, Atheism

Our Bible reveals to us the character of our god with minute and remorseless exactness... It is perhaps the most damnatory biography that exists in print anywhere. It makes Nero an angel of light and leading by contrast.

Mark Twain

Atheist, Character, Angel

Mark Twain (1995). “The Bible According to Mark Twain: Writings on Heaven, Eden, and the Flood”, p.319, University of Georgia Press

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

Writing, Character, Land

There is no character, howsoever good and fine, but it can be destroyed by ridicule, howsoever poor and witless.

Mark Twain

Inspiration, Character, Personality

Pudd'nhead Wilson "A Whisper to the Reader," "Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar" (1894)

One must keep one's character. Earn a character first if you can, and if you can't, then assume one.

Mark Twain

Character, Firsts, Assuming

Mark Twain, Paul Fatout (1997). “Mark Twain Speaks for Himself”, p.17, Purdue University Press

When one's character begins to fall under suspicion and disfavor, how swift, then, is the work of disintegration and destruction.

Mark Twain

Fall, Character, Atheism

Mark Twain (2012). “Mark Twain at Your Fingertips: A Book of Quotations”, p.460, Courier Corporation

I will now claim - until dispossesed - that I was the first person in the world to apply the typewriter to literature. ... The early machine was full of caprices, full of defects- devilish ones. It had as many immoralities as the machine of today has virtues. After a year or two I found that it was degrading my character, so I thought I would give it to Howells. ... He took it home to Boston, and my morals began to improve, but his have never recovered.

Mark Twain

Character, Home, Two

As I have said before, I never had any large respect for good spelling. That is my feeling yet. Before the spelling-book came with its arbitrary forms, men unconsciously revealed shades of their characters, and also added enlightening shades of expression to what they wrote by their spelling, and so it is possible that the spelling-book has been a doubtful benevolence to us.

Mark Twain

Respect, Book, Character

Mark Twain, General Press (2016). “The Complete Works of Mark Twain: All 13 Novels, Short Stories, Poetry and Essays”, p.3759, GENERAL PRESS

Surely the test of a novel's characters is that you feel a strong interest in them and their affairs the good to be successful, the bad to suffer failure. Well, in John Ward, you feel no divided interest, no discriminating interest you want them all to land in hell together, and right away.

Mark Twain

Strong, Character, Successful

Mark Twain (2017). “The Complete Works of Mark Twain (Illustrated Edition): Novels, Short Stories, Memoir, Travel Books, Letters, Biography, Articles & Speeches: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn, Life on the Mississippi, Yankee in King Arthur's Court…”, p.8269, e-artnow

Mark Twain Quotes about Character

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