Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
If there was two birds sitting on a fence, he would bet you which one would fly first.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the importance of taking risks and making choices despite uncertainties.
Mark Twain’s quote about the two birds on a fence illustrates the tendency of individuals to make predictions and take bets on outcomes we cannot definitively know. It speaks to human curiosity and the desire to assert control over the unpredictable nature of life, suggesting that often we must take a leap of faith or make choices based on our instincts, as not all outcomes can be foreseen.
Themes
RiskChoicesUncertaintyLifePrediction
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about overcoming fears.
More from Mark Twain
All quotes →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.
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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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