QuoteProject
Jim said that bees won't sting idiots, but I didn't believe that, because I tried them lots of times myself and they wouldn't sting me.
Mark Twain
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote humorously suggests that bees only sting those who provoke them, implying that the speaker considers himself unprovocative or wise.

In this quote, Mark Twain employs irony and humor to highlight the absurdity of the belief that bees avoid stinging 'idiots.' The speaker's personal experience contradicts this notion, as he states that bees did not sting him despite his attempts to test the theory. The humor lies in the juxtaposition of the supposed wisdom of nature with the speaker's own self-deprecating acknowledgment that he tried to provoke the bees, showcasing Twain's wit in observing human behavior and the quirks of logic.

Themes

BeesStingHumorAbsurdityWisdom

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about the importance of not taking oneself too seriously, this quote by Mark Twain can add a humorous touch.

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

An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You should never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign, just Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience.
Mitch HedbergRead
I am not a glutton - I am an explorer of food
Erma BombeckRead
This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.
Dorothy ParkerRead
There's something very authentic about humor, when you think about it. Anybody can pretend to be serious. But you can't pretend to be funny.
Billy CollinsRead
Sex: the pleasure is momentary, the position ridiculous, and the expense damnable.
Lord ChesterfieldRead
Those of us that had been up all night were in no mood for coffee and donuts, we wanted strong drink. We were, after all, the cream of the national sporting press.
Hunter S. ThompsonRead

A little wisdom, now and then

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