Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
Interpretation
This quote suggests that conformity to majority opinions may lead to mistaken beliefs, urging individuals to critically evaluate their views.
Mark Twain's quote highlights the importance of independent thinking and self-reflection. It warns against the complacency that can arise from going along with the crowd, encouraging individuals to critically assess their beliefs, particularly when they align with popular opinion, as this may indicate a lack of personal conviction or understanding.
In practice
In a discussion about social issues, I would quote this to remind everyone to think critically about popular opinions.
Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
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.
You can't reason with your heart; it has its own laws, and thumps about things which the intellect scorns.
To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident.
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.
I think one of life's great milestones is when a person can look back and be almost as thankful for the setbacks as for the victories.
Our wise old church...has discovered that if you will act as if you believed belief will be given to you; if you pray with doubt, but pray with sincerity, your doubt will be dispelled; if you will surrender yourself to the beauty of that liturgy the power of which over the human spirit has been proved by the experience of the ages, peace will descend upon you.
Man performs and engenders so much more than he can or should have to bear. That's how he finds that he can bear anything.
Youth enters the world with very happy prejudices in her own favor. She imagines herself not only certain of accomplishing every adventure, but of obtaining those rewards which the accomplishment may deserve. She is not easily persuaded to believe that the force of merit can be resisted by obstinacy and avarice, or its luster darkened by envy and malignity.
Everything is perfect, but there is a lot of room for improvement.
Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves in vision as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action. Between these two the wise ones chose aright; the foolish not so.
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