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It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race.
Mark Twain
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote expresses a deep disillusionment with humanity's flaws and moral failures.

Mark Twain's quote reflects profound disappointment with the behavior of people and society as a whole. It suggests that the actions and shortcomings of humankind can lead to feelings of shame and regret, compelling one to question the integrity and goodness of the human race. Twain often critiqued social injustices and human hypocrisy, making this quote a powerful commentary on our collective moral failings.

Themes

ShameHumanityDisappointmentHypocrisySociety

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about social justice, one could use this quote to underline the flaws in human behavior.

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Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
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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.
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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.
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