Mark Twain Quotes About Talent

• We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess.

  Mark Twain

  Musical, Fifteen, Talent

  Mark Twain (2012). “Autobiography of Mark Twain: Volume 1, Reader’s Edition”, p.251, Univ of California Press

• A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval. There is nothing more satisfying than that sense of being completely "at home" in your own skin. When you achieve that as a natural state of "being", then you can finally look beyond yourself and fully contribute all your talents to the world.

  Mark Twain

  Inspirational Life, Home, Men

• The insincerity of man-all men are liars, partial or hiders of facts, half tellers of truths, shirks, moral sneaks. When a merely honest man appears he is a comet-his fame is eternal-needs no genius, no talent-mere honesty

  Mark Twain

  Honesty, Liars, Men

  Mark Twain (2012). “Mark Twain at Your Fingertips: A Book of Quotations”, p.205, Courier Corporation

• Unused talents gives you no advantage over someone who has no talent at all.

  Mark Twain

  Giving, Talent, Advantage

• We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess. Sometimes we are too close to the scene, to see clearly. We "know" ourselves so well that we cannot see how we are perceived by others. Our opinion of ourselves is only "one" opinion and it may not be the truth.

  Mark Twain

  Inspirational Life, May, Fifteen

• We may not pay Satan reverence, for that would be indiscreet, but we can at least respect his talents.

  Mark Twain

  Fear, Atheism, Would Be

  Mark Twain (2010). “The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg: And Other Stories”, p.277, The Floating Press

• Talent without work is useless, thank God

  Mark Twain

  Thank God, Useless, Talent

• I never could do anything with figures, never had any talent for mathematics, never accomplished anything in my efforts at that rugged study, and to-day the only mathematics I know is multiplication, and the minute I get away up in that, as soon as I reach nine times seven- [He lapsed into deep thought, trying to figure nine times seven. Mr. McKelway whispered the answer to him.] I've got it now. It's eighty-four. Well, I can get that far all right with a little hesitation. After that I am uncertain, and I can't manage a statistic.

  Mark Twain

  Science, Accomplishment, Effort

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