Mark Twain Quotes About Evidence

• No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot

  Mark Twain

  Idiot, Evidence, Amount

• When even the brightest mind in our world has been trained up from childhood in a superstition of any kind, it will never be possible for that mind, in its maturity, to examine sincerely, dispassionately, and conscientiously any evidence or any circumstance which shall seem to cast a doubt upon the validity of that superstition. I doubt if I could do it myself.

  Mark Twain

  Science, Maturity, Our World

  Mark Twain (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Mark Twain (Illustrated)”, p.4096, Delphi Classics

• [Do you worry unnecessarily about the future? Remember most fears are just False Evidence Appearing Real. Don't let unfounded fears rob you of the joys of life or you too will say...] There has been much tragedy in my life; [and] at least half of it actually happened.

  Mark Twain

  Real, Worry, Joy

• The history of our race, and each individual’s experience, are sown thick with evidence that a truth is not hard to kill and that a lie told well is immortal.

  Mark Twain

  Truth, Lying, Race

  Mark Twain (2002). “Mark Twain's Book for Bad Boys and Girls”, Mjf Books

• If it is a Miracle, any sort of evidence will answer, but if it is a Fact, proof is necessary

  Mark Twain

  Miracle, Criminals, Answers

  Mark Twain (1962). “Letters from the earth”, Buccaneer Books

• All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure. You can "already know for sure" things that could actually impede progress. Always be on the lookout for the things you did not know, that you did not know. Secondly, work on strengthening personal belief that a particular will be achieved regardless of any adversity that may show up, or evidence to the contrary.

  Mark Twain

  Inspirational Life, Adversity, Ignorance

• I have no liking for novels or stories - none in the world; and so, whenever I read one - which is not oftener than once in two years, and even in these same cases I seldom read beyond the middle of the book - my distaste for the vehicle always taints my judgment of the literature itself, as a matter of course; and also of course makes my verdict valuless. Are you saying "You have written stories yourself." Quite true: but the fact that an Indian likes to scalp people is no evidence that he likes to be scalped.

  Mark Twain

  Book, Reading, Years

  Mark Twain (2016). “The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain”, p.57, Chartwell

• Even the clearest and most perfect circumstantial evidence is likely to be at fault, after all, and therefore ought to be received with great caution. Take the case of any pencil, sharpened by any woman; if you have witnesses, you will find she did it with a knife; but if you take simply the aspect of the pencil, you will say that she did it with her teeth.

  Mark Twain

  Knives, Perfect, Teeth

  Pudd'nhead Wilson ch. 20, "Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar" (1894)

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