Oh, dear, we are all like that. Each of us knows it all, and knows he knows
it all--the rest, to a man, are fools and deluded. One man knows there is a
hell, the next one knows there isn't; one man knows high tariff is right, the
next man knows it isn't; one man knows monarchy is best, the next one knows
it isn't; one age knows there are witches, the next one knows there aren't;
one sect knows its religion is the only true one, there are sixty-four thousand
five hundred million sects that know it isn't so. There is not a mind present
among this multitude of verdict-deliverers that is the superior of the minds
that persuade and represent the rest of the divisions of the multitude. Yet
this sarcastic fact does not humble the arrogance nor diminish the know-it-all
bulk of a single verdict-maker of the lot, by so much as a shade. Mind is plainly
an ass, but it will be many ages before it finds it out, no doubt. Why do we
respect the opinions of any man or any microbe that ever lived? I swear [I]
don't know. Why do I respect my own? Well--that is different.
- "Three Thousand Years among the Microbes"
| When we are young we generally estimate an
opinion by the size of the person that holds it, but later we find that
is an uncertain rule, for we realize that there are times when a hornet's
opinion disturbs us more than an emperor's. - "An Undelivered Speech," 3/25/1895 I am persuaded that a coldly-thought-out and independent verdict upon
a fashion in clothes, or manners, or literature, or politics, or relition,
or any other matter that is projected into the field of our notice and
interest, is a most rare thing--if it has indeed ever existed. I am not one of those who in expressing opinions confine themselves to
facts. If you cannot have a whale's good opinion except at some sacrifice of
principle or personal dignity, it is better to try to live without it.
That is my idea about whales. |
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It were not best that we should all think alike;
it is difference of opinion that makes horse-races. - Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar, 1894 Sane and intelligent human beings are like all other human beings, and carefully and cautiously and diligently conceal their private real opinions from the world and give out fictitious ones in their stead for general consumption. - Mark Twain In Eruption We keep half of what we think hidden away on our inside and only deliver ourselves of that remnant of it which is proper for general consumption. - Mark Twain in Eruption |
| ...we all know that in all matters of mere opinion that [every] man is
insane--just as insane as we are...we know exactly where to put our finger
upon his insanity: it is where his opinion differs from ours....All Democrats
are insane, but not one of them knows it. None but the Republicans. All
the Republicans are insane, but only the Democrats can perceive it. The
rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane. - Christian Science |
 Illustration from WASHINGTON TIMES, January 12, 1904 |
We are discreet sheep; we wait to see how the drove is going, and then go with
the drove. We have two opinions: one private, which we are afraid to express;
and another one--the one we use--which we force ourselves to wear...until habit
makes us comfortable in it, and the custom of defending it presently makes us
love it, adore it, and forget how pitifully we came by it. Look at it in politics.
- Mark Twain's Autobiography
I, like all other human beings, expose to the world only my trimmed and perfumed
and carefully barbered public opinions and conceal carefully, cautiously, wisely,
my private ones.
- Mark Twain in Eruption
We all break over the rule two or three times in our lives and fire a disagreeable
and unpopular private opinion of ours into print, but we never do it when we
can help it, we never do it except when the desire to do it is too strong for
us and overrides and conquers our cold, calm, wise judgment.
- Mark Twain in Eruption
Our opinions do not really blossom into fruition until we have expressed them
to someone else.
- quoted in Mark Twain and I, Opie Read, 1940
Is a person's public and private opinion the same? It is thought there have
been instances.
- More Maxims of Mark, Johnson, 1927
We are nothing but echoes. We have no thoughts of our own, no opinions of our
own, we are but a compost heap made up of the decayed heredities, moral and
physical.
- Mark Twain's Notebook
Opinions based upon theory, superstition, and ignorance are not very precious.
- Letter to J. H. Twitchell, 1/27/1900
Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul in
this world--and never will.
- "Consistency" speech and essay
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