QuoteProject
Hardly a man in the world has an opinion upon morals, political, or religion which he got otherwise than through his associations and sympathies.
Mark Twain
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Our beliefs about morals, politics, and religion are largely shaped by the people we associate with and empathize with.

Mark Twain's quote highlights the idea that individual opinions on complex subjects such as morals, politics, and religion are not formed in isolation but are rather influenced by our social interactions and emotional connections. It suggests that our views are often a reflection of the beliefs of those around us, emphasizing the importance of social context in shaping our understanding of the world.

Themes

OpinionsMoralityPoliticsReligionAssociationsSympathies

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about differing moral beliefs, this quote could be used to illustrate how personal associations shape our views.

More from Mark Twain

Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
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.
Mark TwainRead
You can't reason with your heart; it has its own laws, and thumps about things which the intellect scorns.
Mark TwainRead
To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
Mark TwainRead
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

Similar quotes

Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.
Carol Moseley BraunRead
On tue un homme, on est un assassin. On tue des millions d'hommes, on est un conquérant. On les tue tous, on est un dieu._x000D_ _x000D_ Kill a man, and you are an assassin. Kill millions of men and you are a conqueror. Kill everyone, and you are a god.
Jean RostandRead
Nobody can legitimately claim to be a marine ecologist and conservationist while continuing to eat fish. It is the ultimate form of hypocrisy.
Paul WatsonRead
We want to go forward, but which way are we facing?
John LennonRead
Commerce, trade and exchange make other people more valuable alive than dead, and mean that people try to anticipate what the other guy needs and wants. It engages the mechanisms of reciprocal altruism, as the evolutionary biologists call it, as opposed to raw dominance.
Steven PinkerRead
When nonviolence is accepted as the law of life, it must pervade the whole being and not be applied to isolated acts.
Mahatma GandhiRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.