Off Topic Mark Twain

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John Wick

John Wick

Well-Known Member
Sep 2, 2020
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I find this site and the people that use it absolute top draw. I consider the people that use it of a certain level of intelligence to where a debate or argument never ends with "I'll get me Dar". I started reading Mark Twain about 10 years ago as I entered my 30s, I found his one liners and saying funny and clever. Some highbrow and some just silly.However,I never thought of a time where I would actually start to use some of them in my day to day. Until I got to the position of Management. Anyone in any kind of Management role knows that most of the time, you're only as good as your last favour to thoes you Manage. Then last week infront of a large group of people there was a person with a few more years on the clock that I, that strongly disagreed with a decision that I had to pass on from higher up the food chain. Ranting, raving, full of anger etc etc. At this point I could've done one of two things.
1. Shouted and balled back.
2.Say nothing other than, "I can see where you're coming from, wait back and we'll talk about it when there isn't an audience", I chose the second option. Several people came up to me afterwards and said that I had handled that great etc. As this person was expressing their disapproval infront of 60 plus people, a Twain quite popped into my head "Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference". Now this person isn't a fool, but you get my point. Twain came in handy and he's stuff is clearly good advice.

So... anyone else a fan of Twain and if so, do you have a favourite quote?
 
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My father in law must have been a fan, though I didn't know it at the time.
He died in 2014, and when my mother in law died last year me and the missus had the arduous task of clearing the house...65 years worth of "stuff".
One of the things we came across in the loft was a box of diaries. Nothing personal as such, more of appointments, important dates etc. He was a pitman and then went on to help with industrial tribunals etc for the D.U.M. with people like Davey Guy and Davey Hopper.
At the top of most pages was a handwritten quote, and lots of them were Mark Twain.
I know we kept them, so will ask the Mrs where they are and post a few up.

One that sticks in my head, though not Mark Twain was......
"When I give food to the poor, they call me a Saint"
When I ask the the poor have no food, they call me a commuist"

This is generally attributed to Lenin, but was originally quoted by Dom Helder Camara.
 
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John Wick said:
I find this site and the people that use it absolute top draw. I consider the people that use it of a certain level of intelligence to where a debate or argument never ends with "I'll get me Dar". I started reading Mark Twain about 10 years ago as I entered my 30s, I found his one liners and saying funny and clever. Some highbrow and some just silly.However,I never thought of a time where I would actually start to use some of them in my day to day. Until I got to the position of Management. Anyone in any kind of Management role knows that most of the time, you're only as good as your last favour to thoes you Manage. Then last week infront of a large group of people there was a person with a few more years on the clock that I, that strongly disagreed with a decision that I had to pass on from higher up the food chain. Ranting, raving, full of anger etc etc. At this point I could've done one of two things.
1. Shouted and balled back.
2.Say nothing other than, "I can see where you're coming from, wait back and we'll talk about it when there isn't an audience", I chose the second option. Several people came up to me afterwards and said that I had handled that great etc. As this person was expressing their disapproval infront of 60 plus people, a Twain quite popped into my head "Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference". Now this person isn't a fool, but you get my point. Twain came in handy and he's stuff is clearly good advice.

So... anyone else a fan of Twain and if so, do you have a favourite quote?
Click to expand...

Definitely a fan of Mark Twain. My old English teacher gave me "Roughing It' to read when he was trying to expand my reading. Utterly taken in and read all his stuff down the years.

No-one had written like Mark Twain until he did. And none since!
 
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