Wednesday Wickedness: Mark Twain

Hi and welcome to Wednesday Wickedness!

We are like other memes in that we will ask you ten questions each and every Wednesday.  But our little "twist" is that each week we will pick a famous person and pick ten of their quotes.  Each of our questions will be based on the quotes.  Got it?  Great!  Let's begin this week's meme!

Today we picked Mark Twain.  Here's Wednesday Wickedness!





1. A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.

Do you let yourself off the hook easily?

Oh sure! Nobody’s as forgiving of themselves as I am.



2. A man is never more truthful than when he acknowledges himself a liar.

Do you think everyone lies?

No, not EVERYONE lies. (Since most absolutes are untrue)  But I think most people lie at least occasionally. I try to be honest for the most part - my memory makes it potentially hazardous for me to do much lying.  But I have sometimes lied to save someone’s feelings, or to smooth out an otherwise difficult situation.



3. A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.

What was the last thing that you had to learn the hard way?

That there is NO valid excuse for forgetting your wife’s birthday.



4. A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read.

What types of things do you read?

I used to read mostly science fiction, but in recent years I’ve been trying to read more classic works of literature and poetry.  I also like humorous reads and the occasional ‘true crime’ book.  I never got into celebrity life stories, but I am anxious to read Mark Twain’s recently published autobiography.

(We’ve been waiting 100 years!)



5. A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.

Have you ever thought about something that did not exist and later it was invented?

Yes, sticky notes.  I thought of it while trying to leave a note on a friend’s front door.  A few years later, there they were!

(I mean they existed; not that they were on my friend’s front door)



6. Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.

How well do you think that you observe people?

I think I’ve learned how to read people pretty well. I’m not 100% all the time, but I’m usually in the 90-percentile.



7. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.

Have you ever used humor to diffuse a difficult situation?

Yes (That, or lying!)  Sometimes the right joke will just catch people off guard and they'll laugh and things will settle down to rational discussion.



8. Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

How important is your age to you? Do you ever lie about it or refuse to reveal it?

I’m 46.  Is my age important?  Not really, and I’ve never had cause to lie about it.  (At least not since I reached legal drinking age!)



9. All you need is ignorance and confidence and the success is sure.

How important do you think confidence is? Are you confident?

Confidence is a wonderful thing to have, but I don’t always have an over-abundance.  I’ve found that good preparation and reasonable expectations lend themselves to feeling confident in most situations.

(But of course,  you can’t be ready for everything!)



10. Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.

Do you do everything you should to be healthy?

Not really.  (My only exercise is jumping to conclusions!)

But I do take my daily vitamins and my cholesterol pills, I bathe regularly and always brush my teeth.  I get my yearly physicals.

I tend to eat and drink whatever I want, but I eat such a wide variety that some healthy stuff invariably gets included along the way.




You too can join in the fun at: Wednesday Wickedness!