Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
It is easier for a cannibal to enter the Kingdom of Heaven through the eye of a rich man's needle that it is for any other foreigner to read the terrible German script.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the difficulty of understanding complex issues, likening it to an impossible task.
Mark Twain uses a vivid metaphor to illustrate how challenging it can be for outsiders to grasp certain cultural or intellectual concepts, particularly those that are complex or poorly constructed. The comparison of a cannibal entering heaven through a needle’s eye emphasizes how absurdly difficult it is for some to comprehend the nuances of the 'terrible German script,' which could symbolize complicated or inaccessible knowledge.
Themes
UnderstandingComplexityKnowledgeCultureMetaphor
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of cultural literacy, you might quote Twain to illustrate the challenges faced by those who are not familiar with a particular context.
More from Mark Twain
All quotes →The easy part of being an artist is figuring out the message that everyone else is ready to hear. The hard part is waiting for the proper lull to make the announcement.
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You can't reason with your heart; it has its own laws, and thumps about things which the intellect scorns.
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To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
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Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident.
Mark TwainRead
In Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.
Mark TwainRead
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