Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the value of free speech and conscience while humorously critiquing the tendency to avoid using them.
Mark Twain's quote reflects on the vital freedoms of speech and conscience, suggesting they are invaluable gifts from God. However, he presents a satirical view that people often exercise great caution in exercising these freedoms, implying that many choose not to fully embrace such liberties, thus underscoring a tension between idealism and reality in society.
Themes
FreedomSpeechConscienceHumorSatire
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be a great lead-in for a discussion on the importance of free speech at a debate.
More from Mark Twain
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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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