Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People often dismiss or ridicule new ideas until they prove to be successful.
This quote by Mark Twain reflects the initial skepticism that often surrounds innovative thoughts. It highlights how society tends to label those who propose unconventional ideas as 'cranks' or outliers until their ideas are validated by success, illustrating the resistance to change and the value of persistent belief in oneβs vision despite potential ridicule.
Themes
InnovationSuccessSkepticismIdeasChange
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about entrepreneurship, one can use this quote to encourage aspiring innovators to persevere despite initial criticism.
More from Mark Twain
All quotes βThe 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.
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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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