Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
The finest clothing made is a person's own skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this.
Interpretation
True beauty and authenticity come from within, but societal expectations often require external adornments.
In this quote, Mark Twain highlights the idea that the essence of a person is their own natural self, which he equates to their skin. While this is the purest and finest form of existence, society pressures individuals to dress or present themselves in a way that fits within certain external standards, suggesting a conflict between personal authenticity and social expectations.
In practice
During a commencement speech to highlight the importance of being true to oneself.
Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
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.
You can't reason with your heart; it has its own laws, and thumps about things which the intellect scorns.
To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident.
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.
I hate facts. I always say the chief end of man is to form general propositions - adding that no general proposition is worth a damn.
We must realize that the Reformation world view leads in the direction of government freedom. But the humanist world view with inevitable certainty leads in the direction of statism. This is so because humanists, having no god, must put something at the center, and it is inevitably society, government, or the state.
Unless you really understand others, you can hardly attain your own self-understanding.
Almost anything that you pay close, direct attention to becomes interesting.
Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.
At my funeral, if one said, 'Nick was a generous person,' trust me I won't be doing cartwheels in my coffin. Recognition from people is never and never will be a goal. Some people strive for that respect or honor. Living a life to just reach for the position and status is vanity and sin.
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